The new Korean drama The Forbidden Marriage which is streaming exclusively on Prime Video recently held a press conference in South Korea to introduce the drama and answer burning questions. Set 7 years after the king loses his beloved wife, the kingdom of Joseon is impacted by a marriage ban set up in the aftermath of the queen’s passing. A swindling matchmaker gets arrested for her matchmaking work and ends up making up lies about being able to see the late queen’s spirit in order to get out of her predicament. Her lies get larger as relationships get entangled and romance grows.
Unique Characters
The main actors introduced their characters and they’re definitely unique. Park Ju-hyun said, “My character So-rang is someone I fell in love with as soon as I read the script. She’s very good with words, a smooth talker, and extremely quick-witted. She’s a cool woman who is able to accomplish whatever she sets her mind on.” You’ll have to watch to see how So-rang ends up making the king believe her schemes.
Kim Young-dae shared, “My character Lee Heon is a Joseon king, he loses his crown princess wife 7 years ago in a mysterious incident and falls into despair. After he meets So-rang, he rediscovers love and grows.” There have been plenty of kings in historical dramas, but a widower king who deeply loved his queen is pretty novel.
Kim Woo-seok explained, “He’s a royal investigator and his personality is warm yet cold, but ultimately he’s a warm character.” His character Lee Shin-won is the king’s best friend who is also looking for the woman he almost married before the marriage ban prevented him from doing so.
Full of Cheer
If you’re looking for a series that will make you smile and help you unwind after a long day, look no further. Director Park Sang-woo commented, “I think our series has a more carefree vibe.” Kim Woo-seok said, “So-rang’s personality is very lively and cheerful, there’s an unpredictable charm to it. I think that this blends well so that the series itself is very vivacious, fresh, and fun.” Park Ju-hyun added, “With our drama, you’ll be able to laugh a lot,” and, “We had so much fun on set, so I believe viewers will also have fun.”
K-Culture Centric
K-dramas have become increasingly popular globally over the years, and interest in K-culture has grown too. Director Park Sang-woo said, “I made a lot of effort to present K-culture in an audiovisual way.” Visually, there are many props and locations to enjoy that reflect Korean culture. The director also talked about how he “prepared music that heavily incorporates a lot of traditional Korean music instruments” for the audio element. He summed up, “I hope it can be a great series that portrays K-culture in a cool way.”
Historical But Relatable
While The Forbidden Marriage is a historical drama and set during the Joseon era, the series has a youthful and contemporary flair to it. Focusing on young, single characters who are navigating relationships, the story can be surprisingly relatable to today’s youths and singles. Kim Young-dae said, “When I read the script, I saw many fusion style elements. I thought the public could watch the series and could relate to it easily.”
If the interesting premise and up-and-coming actors aren’t enough to hook you, listen to Park Ju-hyun’s wise words: “There have been many historical dramas thus far, but none like ours.” The Forbidden Marriage incorporates all the facets of historical K-dramas we love while putting a unique and fun spin on the story and its characters. Don’t miss out and be sure to watch the series, only on Amazon Prime Video!
