Kingdom Season 1 (2019)

Joseon dynasty zombies. When this combination was first announced, many people were sceptical. But Kingdom Season 1, released through Netflix in January 2019, silenced every one of those doubts in one go. Directed by Kim Seong-hun, written by Kim Eun-hee, six episodes in total. It was one of the earliest Korean Netflix originals to receive significant production investment from the platform, and the scale of that investment is fully visible on screen.

What it’s about — A Plague Spreading Across Joseon

Crown Prince Chang (Ju Ji-hoon), amid rumours that the King is critically ill, tries to enter the palace to confirm his father’s condition but is repeatedly blocked. Sensing that something is being concealed, the Prince sets out to find the truth about the King’s illness himself. In doing so he discovers that a strange plague is spreading through Gyeongsang Province — that the dead are returning to life and attacking the living. Chang travels south to find the plague’s origin, where he meets physician Seo-bi (Bae Doona).

Direction — Period Drama Fused with Zombie Horror

Director Kim Seong-hun sets Joseon period drama against zombie horror without compromising either. The historical accuracy is faithful, and the terror of the zombies is as intense as any contemporary horror. The construction of tension as the zombies begin to rise at dusk is particularly masterful. The distinctive use of each season’s weather and natural environment to create a different atmosphere in each episode is also impressive. The structure of six episodes, moving without pause, maintains immersion throughout.

Performance & characters — Chang and Seo-bi Chasing the Truth

Ju Ji-hoon’s Crown Prince Chang is a man with the qualities to become king, moving not from ambition to reach that position but from a will toward the truth. He portrays a prince who is not soft yet responds to the suffering of ordinary people — convincingly. Bae Doona’s Seo-bi is the most active and independent character Kingdom offers. She leads the drama’s investigative narrative using her medical knowledge. Ryu Seung-ryong’s Jo Hak-joo is the linchpin of the confrontation, as the real power behind the palace.

What the work says — Power and the Starving People

Kingdom is ostensibly zombie fiction but is fundamentally a drama about power and the people. The fact that the origin of the zombie plague is connected to a political choice made to maintain power makes that clear. When the king dies, a power vacuum forms; to fill that vacuum, someone breaks a taboo. While the ruled are dying from lack of food, the rulers are concerned only with preserving their power — a dynamic that doesn’t end with the Joseon era.

Ratings & reception

IMDb score is 8.3, and it is frequently cited as an early international success story among Netflix non-English dramas. On its 2019 release it was assessed as a work that demonstrated new possibilities for Korean drama on the world stage, and it is cited as one of the factors that led Netflix to invest more aggressively in Korean originals.

What doesn’t work

The six-episode Season 1 ends before the main story properly unfolds. The episode count is barely enough to fit world-building, character introduction, and the first crisis — so watching Season 2 back-to-back is necessary for a complete experience. If you’re expecting zombie horror, it’s also worth knowing upfront that this is more about sustained tension than outright terror.

Verdict

Kingdom Season 1 is a pioneering work that showed how far Korean drama could expand in genre terms. The bold attempt to combine Joseon period drama with zombie horror was executed with real success. Watching both seasons consecutively — all twelve episodes — is strongly recommended. Without Kingdom’s success, it might not have been as easy for subsequent works like Squid Game, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, and The Glory to reach the world market. That pioneering role deserves to be remembered. My rating is ★4.0.

Recommended for

• Those who enjoy zombie genre but also want the beauty of Korean period drama
• Viewers considering an introduction to Netflix Korean dramas
• Those looking for dramas that explore the relationship between power and the people