Song Joong Ki: Rugged Wild Warrior in ‘Arthdal Chronicles’; Facts to Know Before the Korean ‘Game of Thrones’ Airs

Song Joong Ki is starring in his comeback drama “Arthdal Chronicles,” and the hype on the fantasy series is escalating as more teasers and still photos are revealed. As can be seen in the previews, Song Hye Kyo’s husband’s character will be very different from what he was known for in “Descendants of the Sun.” From being a soldier in “DOTS,” he will be a wild warrior in an epic story that is set in the prehistoric Korean era.

Now, prior to “Arthdal Chronicles” premiere, there are interesting things to know about the drama. It is well-known that Joong Ki is taking the lead role as Eun Som, a cursed child who later became the hero after fighting and successfully protecting for the land of Asadal, but there are other characters in the upcoming drama who are big stars in Korea as well like Jang Dong Gun, Kim Ji Won, Kim Ok Bin and Chu Ja Hyun.

Cast

As per Soompi, Ja Hyun has a big role in Song Joong Ki’s “Arthdal Chronicles” too. She will be Asahon, Eun Som’s mother who hailed from the White Mountain Tribe. She was from a powerful family with a high position in Arthdal, but after choosing love over power, she was on the run as she tries to protect her son.

Kim Ji Won would serve as Eun Som’s love interest. She previously co-starred with Joong Ki in “DOTS” so they already know each other well. In “Arthdal” she will be Tan Ya, a regular tribe member of Wahan but later grown to become the leader of her clan in the Gojoseon civilization.

Jang Dong Gun is one of the popular actors in Korea, and he is acting alongside Song Joong Ki as the villain. He is Tagon, Arthdal’s war hero who aspires to be the king but it seems he needs to get rid of Eun Som first.

Korea’s “Game of Thrones”

“Arthdal Chronicles” has been called as South Korea’s “Game of Thrones” because apart from featuring a star-studded cast lineup, its production budget is also almost as huge as the HBO popular series. KStar Live reported that the cost of making this drama is around $35.5 million or KRW40 biilion.

Netflix Launch and Premiere Date

Netflix revealed that it would air Song Joong Ki’s upcoming drama. In partnership with tvN and Studio Dragon, all the 18 episodes will be played on the streaming site starting on June 1 at 9 p.m.