Jun Ji-hyun is such a huge fan of the K-zombie series Kingdom that she reportedly approached writer Kim Eun-hee at a private event professing to the writer that she would love to appear in the series, be it in a small role or even as one of the zombies!
Writer Kim instead wrote the titular role in the special Kingdom episode, Kingdom: Ashin Of The North for the Korean actress, who is also known as Gianna Jun.
According to the series and episode director Kim Seong-hun, it was an easy decision to cast the award-winning star as Ashin.
In exclusive video interviews with the Kingdom cast and creators, director Seong-hun shared this with StarLifestyle: “Jun Ji-hyun definitely tops every director’s list. For this character especially, we had to have the best actor. And there’s no one better suited for the role of Ashin than Jun.”
He continued: “Ashin carries a lot of anguish and pain internally – or, in Korean, referred to as ‘han’. Jun brings that to the fore in her performance, that audiences would feel Ashin’s suffering and her need for vengeance.”
Ashin Of The North arrives as a prelude to the events seen in the first season of Kingdom.
In that 2019 hit thriller, set in the Joseon period, audiences witness a zombie outbreak that threaten to wipe out the existence of life in the Southern region of Joseon.
As shown later in the series, the plague starts with a plant that brings the dead back to life, turning them into creatures that hunger for human flesh.
Kingdom’s backstory in this 92-minute episode takes place in the cold and northern region of Joseon, where the resurrection plant grows.
It begins with young Ashin (Kim Si-ah) who accidentally comes across the strange plant in the forbidden part of the woods, while searching for a cure for her ailing mother.
However, due to situations out of the young girl’s control, she ends up at an army camp alone and orphaned.
Although tasked with menial jobs by the soldiers, she trains herself to be strong and grows up to be a formidable young woman (Jun).
Writer Eun-hee explained how this character and the special episode came to be: “During the early to mid-stages of the second season (of Kingdom) – when I was looking for what kind of storyline to bring for the latter part of the season – I thought of the resurrection plant and its cold properties.
“Naturally, I looked into the Northern areas of Joseon and that’s when I came across the people that were referred to Seongjeoyain, or the ‘marginalised people’ of that time that didn’t belong anywhere.
“I decided to look into this detail. And throughout that process, the character Ashin crystallised.
“When you look at the story behind Ashin, it’s a very long and complex story. And considering the chronological aspect of it, I felt that instead of incorporating her story into the third season, it would be more audience-friendly and conducive to provide it in a special episode.”
This decision, in turn allowed for actress Jun to fully immerse herself into Ashin, a character that was revealed at the end of Kingdom’s second season.
As the 39-year-old actress exercises every day, she was prepared in terms of physique and stamina required to portray her character. Hence, Jun turned her focus on how to interpret Ashin’s han.
“When I first began to decipher the character Ashin, I felt it was of utmost importance that I made her relatable for the audience to understand how that single character’s personal anguish or grief leads to vengeance against the whole land of Joseon,” Jun told StarLifestyle.
“I had to make Ashin as convincing and relatable as possible as the special episode not only unveils the secret of the resurrection plant, but also how everything related to Kingdom begins.”
Jun – who’s more known for her roles in romantic dramas such as My Love From The Star and Legend Of The Blue Sea – also learned archery for Ashin Of The North, a skill she acquired quite easily through practise.
Nonetheless, she admitted, there were some other challenges that came with the role.
“Being able to participate at a later point in a series that I love so much, I have to say there was a significant level of pressure for me. But my personality is that, I work better under pressure. So I tried to deliberately feel that pressure in a positive manner, and do better.
“I didn’t want to make it look like I was just enjoying the ride, propelling on a successful show.”
The harsh weather she encountered while filming was another issue she had to overcome.
“It was extremely cold,” Jun confirmed with a laugh. “When you look at my costume – it has a lot of history in it, it looks great, it’s very beautiful.
“But the fact of it is, it’s very hard to move in those clothes and also, it’s very heavy, and it’s not as warm as you think it might be.
“And because we’re shooting a period piece, there aren’t any buildings to block me from the wind or the fan, or anything like that. So, I was just out there all alone in the open field. That was quite tough.”
One theme that stands out both in Kingdom and in Ashin Of The North, is how tenacious the female characters are.
Bae Doona’s character in the Kingdom series is often relegated to low-status just because of her gender.
Likewise, Ashin is treated degradedly as she belongs to an ostracised society.
But both these female characters are not victims of their circumstances.
Eun-hee told StarLifestyle that it was not her intention to make the characters to be strong women by definition.
She elaborated: “For example, I have the queen character (in Kingdom) who is not very strong, but she’s evil. In that sense, I don’t think that women characters necessarily have to be strong, but I do think of what that character is.
“Bae Doona’s character is a nurse, so she had to be powerful in that way.
“And Ashin is the last survivor of an oppressed tribe so she has a lot of han. So, I just thought about the character and how they would have to be strong, regardless of whether it’s female or male.”
By intent or not, there is no doubt her work – which combines political intrigue, costume drama and various allegories exploring the human conditions – has engaged fans on a global scale.
Actor Park Byung-eun – who appears in the second season of Kingdom and in Ashin – reasoned to StarLifestyle why the series is loved by so many fans worldwide.
“The show is not just about the genre. It’s not a simple story that focuses on the undead or the zombies.
“It’s about the people, the hunger, the greed, the sadness and the han, which is the anguish of the people.
“So, there is symbolism in these different elements which is what I think sets Kingdom apart from other titles.
“It provides the audience with food for thought; it taps your untapped emotions. And I think all of these are so wonderfully written by the genius writer Kim Eun-hee.”
Seasons One and Two of Kingdom and Kingdom: Ashin Of The North are available on Netflix.
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