Jang Hyuk to star as Goguryeo general in Great King Munmu

Jang Hyuk will portray Yeon Gaesomun, a Goguryeo general who seeks supreme power by eliminating Go Geon-mu, in the 28-episode KBS2 epic drama Great King Munmu. The series is scheduled to premiere on November 14 at 9:20 PM.

Actor Jang Hyuk will portray Yeon Gaesomun, a general and the ultimate power holder of Goguryeo, in the new KBS2 epic drama 'Great King Munmu'. On the 20th, the production team released stills of Jang Hyuk in the role of Yeon Gaesomun. Jang will play a Goguryeo general who fights to the end against the large armies of the Tang dynasty and seeks to seize actual power in Goguryeo through his control over the military. The work tells the stories of leaders who bet everything for victory amidst 600 years of continuous warfare and upheavals within the Three Kingdoms. Jang stated that he wanted to express Yeon Gaesomun as a figure who can be interpreted from various perspectives, portraying him as a leader, a human being, and someone who dreams of ideals. 'Great King Munmu' is a 28-episode series scheduled to premiere on November 14 at 9:20 PM.

Yeon Gaesomun seeking power through military control

In 'Great King Munmu', the Yeon Gaesomun played by Jang Hyuk is a brave Goguryeo general who resists the Tang dynasty's massive forces until the end. He is depicted as a figure who expands his power using his military influence as a stepping stone. The story covers not only the wars surrounding Goguryeo but also the internal power dynamics.

Go Geon-mu, who attempted to prevent Yeon Gaesomun's overreach, is ultimately eliminated by him. Jo Seong-ha takes on the role of Go Geon-mu. After dealing with Go Geon-mu, Yeon Gaesomun rises to become the supreme power in Goguryeo, whom no one can stop, and begins to reveal his ambitions without restraint. The production introduces this character as both a general fighting the Tang dynasty and a power player seeking to seize control within Goguryeo. The wars surrounding Yeon Gaesomun and the internal power struggles in Goguryeo form one of the main pillars of the story. Jang will appear in the work as this character in the stills released by the production team.

'Great King Munmu' is set against the backdrop of 600 years of war and upheavals within the Three Kingdoms. The production team described it as a desperate and lonely epic of leaders who stake everything on a single victory. Jang identified the strategies and diplomacy employed by the Three Kingdoms and the Tang dynasty from their respective positions as key points of interest. The story of war and power unfolds as the viewer follows the different choices made by each nation. The work deals with the confrontation between the Three Kingdoms and the Tang dynasty alongside the individual actions of Yeon Gaesomun.

A character interpretable from multiple perspectives

Jang Hyuk cited the multi-dimensional nature of Yeon Gaesomun as his reason for choosing 'Great King Munmu'. "Because different countries have different perspectives, he is a character that allows for various interpretations," he said. "I wanted to express Yeon Gaesomun as a leader, a person, and someone who dreams of ideals." He explained that he did not want to limit Yeon Gaesomun to being just a leader with power, but wanted to express his humanity and his capacity for ideals.

Jang said it is difficult to define Yeon Gaesomun's charm with a single trait. "The charm of Yeon Gaesomun cannot be defined by just one thing," he explained, noting that while the character possesses the decisiveness to manage situations and drive affairs, he also experiences human pain and sorrow. Jang's explanation encompasses both the image of a leader exercising power and his personal emotions. While Yeon Gaesomun is presented in the work as a figure seizing military control and aiming for actual power in Goguryeo, Jang stated he would also explore the character's human side when portraying him.

He mentioned that because Yeon Gaesomun is human, there may be situations where he makes mistakes. He also described him as a character who makes one think about why he must walk that path. "As a human, there will be situations where he makes mistakes, and I think he is a character that makes one think, 'Why must I walk this path?'" Jang said. This reflects his intention to view Yeon Gaesomun's ambitions, decisions, and personal pain and sorrow as various facets of the character.

Contemplating every scene's situation and character reactions

Jang Hyuk revealed that the process of acting as Yeon Gaesomun was not easy. "Every moment of acting was difficult," he said. To express the character, Jang prioritized thinking about the situation in the scene and the character itself. He explained that instead of pre-determining a single emotion, he contemplated how Yeon Gaesomun would react in each specific scene. Rather than acting with a fixed emotion or attitude, his method was to first examine the situation faced in each scene.

"I did not think of emotions as fixed, and I contemplated in every scene how Yeon Gaesomun would react in that situation," Jang said. He explained that he acted by weighing the character's response based on the situation Yeon Gaesomun was in. He introduced this process as a way to increase the character's persuasiveness. Yeon Gaesomun is a character who uses his control over the military to seize power in Goguryeo and even eliminates Go Geon-mu, who tried to stop him. Jang stated that while acting out these actions, he did not fix his emotions but instead contemplated the reactions the character would show in each scene.

The acting method described by Jang focuses on examining the various sides of Yeon Gaesomun scene by scene. The elements of the character he mentioned include his social maneuvering, decisiveness, human pain and sorrow, and the moments of making mistakes and reflecting on his choices. Jang said he thought about the situation of each scene and Yeon Gaesomun's reaction together. The production team introduced Jang's Yeon Gaesomun as a general fighting the Tang dynasty and the supreme power in Goguryeo. The character's pursuit of power and his human side are expected to be depicted in the work.

Strategies and diplomacy of the Three Kingdoms and Tang dynasty as viewing points

Jang Hyuk pointed to the strategies of each nation as a highlight to watch for in 'Great King Munmu'. He said viewers can observe how the Three Kingdoms and the Tang dynasty wage war from their own perspectives and what kind of strategies and diplomacy each country pursues. He explained that following the different choices made by each nation is a way to watch the work. The background of 'Great King Munmu' involves the upheavals within the Three Kingdoms and the wars including the Tang dynasty. Jang presented the responses and diplomacy of each nation as a key viewing point.

"If you follow the different choices of each country as the Three Kingdoms and the Tang dynasty wage war from their own perspectives and carry out their respective strategies and diplomacy, you will be able to watch 'Great King Munmu' more enjoyably," Jang said. The work centers on the story of leaders who bet everything for victory. In that process, Yeon Gaesomun appears as a Goguryeo general facing the Tang dynasty's large army and a figure aiming for actual power within Goguryeo. Jang explained that viewers can watch the work by following the choices and strategies of each nation.

The script for 'Great King Munmu' is written by Kim Ri-heon and Hong Jin-i, with direction by Kim Yeong-jo and Goo Seong-jun. Lee Ho serves as the executive producer. KeyEast and Monster Union are participating in the production. The 28-episode drama is scheduled to premiere on November 14 at 9:20 PM on KBS2. Jang expressed his hope that the situations and emotions of that time will be well conveyed to the viewers who have waited a long time, requesting their viewership. On the 20th, the production team released stills of Jang Hyuk in the role of Yeon Gaesomun.

Read the original (Korean)