You're scrolling through Netflix at 11 PM. You've seen the same three true-crime documentaries recommended six times. Then you see it: a thumbnail of a man in a traditional Korean horsehair hat, brandishing a sword against a backdrop of fire. You might hesitate because subtitles feel like homework after a long day. Don't. If you haven't jumped into the Kingdom TV series UK fans have been obsessing over since 2019, you are genuinely missing out on the most sophisticated horror-political drama ever made. It is better than The Walking Dead. There, I said it.
The show is a weird, beautiful, and terrifying hybrid. Think Game of Thrones political maneuvering meets the frantic, sprinting zombies of 28 Days Later, all set in Korea’s medieval Joseon period. It’s not just about gore. Honestly, the gore is secondary to the sheer tension of a crown prince trying to save a country that is literally eating itself.
What Actually Happens in Kingdom?
The setup is pretty simple, yet incredibly dense. King Haewon has "fallen ill" with smallpox. At least, that's what the powerful Cho Clan wants everyone to believe. In reality, the King is dead. Or rather, he’s something else. Queen Consort Cho and her father, the terrifying Chief State Councillor Cho Hak-ju, are using a mysterious "Resurrection Plant" to keep the King in a state of living death until the Queen can produce a male heir. If the King is officially dead, the Crown Prince, Lee Chang, takes the throne. They can't have that.
Prince Lee Chang, played with a perfect mix of vulnerability and steel by Ju Ji-hoon, smells a rat. He sneaks out of the palace to find the physician who last treated his father. What he finds instead is a rural clinic full of starving people and a pile of corpses under the floorboards. Then the sun goes down.
Why the Kingdom TV Series UK Release Hit Different
When Kingdom first landed on UK screens, it arrived right as the "K-Wave" was hitting its stride. But unlike the candy-colored world of K-Pop or the romantic tropes of standard K-Dramas, Kingdom felt gritty and expensive. Netflix poured money into this. You can see it in the silk robes, the sprawling palace architecture, and the way the "monsters" move. These aren't your slow, shuffling Romero zombies. They are fast. They are loud. And they are terrifyingly hungry.
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The writing by Kim Eun-hee is what really elevates it. She’s a legend in South Korea for a reason. She took a webtoon called The Kingdom of the Gods and turned it into a meditation on class warfare. The monsters are a literal manifestation of the hunger caused by a corrupt government. When the poor have nothing left to eat, they become the hunger itself. It’s a bit on the nose, sure, but in the middle of a midnight chase scene through a frozen forest, the metaphor hits like a ton of bricks.
The Physics of the Plague
One thing that confuses people new to the Kingdom TV series UK stream is the "rules" of the zombies. Early on, everyone thinks the monsters only come out at night. They hide in crawlspaces and under buildings during the day like they’re allergic to the sun. Prince Lee Chang and his ragtag group—including the badass tiger hunter Yeong-sin and the brilliant physician Seo-bi (played by Bae Doona of Sense8 fame)—spend the first season building their entire strategy around this "night only" rule.
Then the Season 1 finale happens. No spoilers, but let’s just say the "night" part of the rule isn't exactly what it seems. It turns out the plague is tied to temperature, not light. As winter approaches, the threat becomes constant. It changes the stakes entirely.
The Production Value is Insane
If you appreciate cinematography, you’ll notice the lighting in Kingdom is spectacular. They use a lot of natural-looking light—torches, moonlight, dim candles. It creates this oppressive, claustrophobic atmosphere even when they’re outside in the vast mountains. The costume design is also historically meticulous. The "gat" (the traditional hats) became such a talking point on social media when the show launched in the UK that people were actually Googling where to buy Korean 17th-century headwear.
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Why You Should Watch Ashin of the North First (Or Should You?)
In 2021, Netflix released a special feature-length episode called Kingdom: Ashin of the North. It stars Jun Ji-hyun (Gianna Jun), and it’s a prequel. It explains exactly where the Resurrection Plant came from and why someone would be "evil" enough to start a zombie apocalypse.
- Option A: Watch it first if you want the chronological lore. It’s dark. Like, really dark. It’s a revenge story that sets the stage.
- Option B: Watch it after Season 2. This is how most of us saw it. The mystery of the plant is part of the fun in the main series, and Ashin acts as a massive "Aha!" moment that bridges the gap toward a potential Season 3.
Personally? Go with Option B. Let the mystery simmer.
The Political Chess Match
While the zombies are the hook, the human villains are arguably scarier. Ryu Seung-ryong plays Cho Hak-ju, and he is a masterclass in "quietly terrifying." He doesn't scream. He doesn't rant. He just makes choices that sacrifice thousands of lives to keep his family in power. The tension between the Prince trying to be a "good" leader and the Cho family trying to be "strong" leaders is the heartbeat of the show.
It’s about the mandate of heaven. In Joseon-era Korea, if the King failed, it was seen as a sign that nature itself was revolting. A plague of the undead is the ultimate sign that the ruling class has failed. The Kingdom TV series UK audience really latched onto this theme—the idea of a leadership so out of touch that the common people literally turn into monsters.
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Is There Going to be a Season 3?
This is the big question. It’s been a long wait. Season 2 ended on a massive cliffhanger with the Prince and Seo-bi heading north and encountering a mysterious woman (Ashin) who seems to be controlling or farming the undead.
While Netflix hasn't officially given us a date for Season 3, the success of Ashin of the North and the continued high viewership numbers in the UK and abroad suggest it’s a matter of "when," not "if." The cast is busy—Ju Ji-hoon and Bae Doona are huge stars—but the creators have gone on record saying they have enough material for many more seasons. We just have to be patient.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Rewatch
If you've already seen it, or you're about to start, keep an eye on the colors. The use of red and blue is very intentional, representing the divide between the royal bloodline and the commoners. Also, pay attention to the sound design. The "clicking" sound the zombies make is bone-chilling when you have headphones on.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
If you've finished the two seasons and the prequel, and you're craving more of that specific vibe, here is what you do next:
- Watch 'Train to Busan': If you haven't seen this South Korean masterpiece, do it tonight. It’s the gold standard for modern zombie films and shares that "fast-paced terror" DNA with Kingdom.
- Explore 'The Crowned Clown': If it was the Joseon politics that gripped you more than the zombies, this drama (also on many UK streaming platforms) features incredible palace intrigue and similar costume design, minus the flesh-eating.
- Check out the Webtoon: Look for The Kingdom of the Gods. It’s the source material and offers a slightly different take on the story that might fill the void while we wait for Season 3 news.
- Switch to the Subs: If you watched the dubbed version, try a rewatch with the original Korean audio and English subtitles. The vocal performances of the actors, especially Ryu Seung-ryong, carry a weight that the dubbing often loses.
The Kingdom TV series UK experience is one of those rare times where the hype is actually justified. It’s smart, it’s gorgeous, and it will make you jump out of your seat at least once per episode. Just don't watch it while you're eating. Trust me on that one.