Honestly, the hardest part about watching The King's Affection isn't the political backstabbing or the Joseon-era gender-swap tropes. It’s the sheer emotional weight carried by The King’s Affection characters. We’ve all seen the "woman disguised as a man" plot before—it’s a K-drama staple—but this show hits different because the stakes feel so much more permanent.
Most people come for Park Eun-bin’s incredible performance, and they stay for the tangled web of loyalty and longing that defines the rest of the cast. It’s not just a romance. It’s a survival story.
The Dual Life of Lee Hwi
Lee Hwi is arguably one of the most complex protagonists in modern Sageuk history. Played with razor-sharp precision by Park Eun-bin, she isn't just "playing" a king. She is a woman who had to kill her own identity to survive after her twin brother, the real Crown Prince, was murdered.
The brilliance of this character lies in the posture. Notice how Hwi carries herself. The way she keeps people at a literal five-step distance isn't just royal protocol; it’s a desperate defensive mechanism. If anyone gets too close, they’ll hear her heartbeat or notice the softness of her features. She lives in a constant state of fight-or-flight, yet she has to project the cold, untouchable aura of a monarch.
It’s exhausting just watching her.
What most viewers miss is that Hwi’s character arc isn't about learning to be a king. She’s already good at that. It’s about her reclaiming the name Dam-yi—the girl she was supposed to be before the world decided she was an "abomination" for being a female twin.
Jung Ji-woon: The Man Who Loved a King
Then there’s Jung Ji-woon, played by Rowoon.
If Hwi is the cold moon, Ji-woon is the sun. But he’s not a simple, bubbly love interest. His backstory is dark. His father, Jung Seok-jo, is essentially a high-functioning executioner for the Han family. Ji-woon grows up watching his father commit atrocities in the name of loyalty, which is exactly why he runs away to become a physician.
He wants to heal because his family only knows how to hurt.
His dynamic with The King’s Affection characters is fascinating because he’s the only one who brings a sense of modern humanity into the stiff palace walls. When he falls for the Crown Prince, he doesn't have an immediate crisis about his sexuality in the way you’d expect. Instead, he’s just... confused by the pull of his own heart. He loves the soul of the person in front of him.
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It’s actually quite beautiful how Rowoon plays the realization. It’s less "Oh no, I love a man" and more "I love this person so much it’s ruining my life, and I don't care."
The Tragedy of Lee Hyun (Prince Jaeun)
Let’s talk about Lee Hyun. Nam Yoon-su plays the "Second Lead" role here, but calling him that feels like an insult.
He’s the only person who knew Hwi’s secret from the start. Think about the burden of that. He’s spent years watching the woman he loves pretend to be his cousin, all while protecting her from a distance. He’s the person who buys her feminine gifts she can never wear and keeps her secrets buried deeper than his own.
Hyun represents the "safe" love. He’s stable. He’s kind. In any other world, he’d be the perfect match. But in the Joseon palace, his kindness is his greatest weakness. He’s caught between his loyalty to his friend (Hwi) and his loyalty to his family, who are often the ones plotting against her.
The Villains We Love to Hate
You can't discuss The King’s Affection characters without mentioning Lord Sangheon (Han Ki-jae).
Played by Yoon Je-moon, this man is the personification of cold, calculated ambition. He doesn't care that Hwi is his granddaughter. To him, she is a puppet. A tool to keep the Han family in power. He’s the one who ordered the killing of the female twin at birth, and he’s the one who would kill her again if she stopped being useful.
Then there’s Jung Seok-jo (Bae Soo-bin). He’s a much more nuanced antagonist. He isn't necessarily "evil" in the mustache-twirling sense. He’s a soldier. He follows orders. His tragedy is his relationship with his son, Ji-woon. He thinks he’s building a world for his son to thrive in, not realizing that his blood-soaked hands are the very things driving his son away.
The Supporting Cast: The Pulse of the Palace
The smaller roles often provide the most emotional payoff.
- Court Lady Kim: She is Hwi’s surrogate mother. Every time she looks at Hwi with those teary eyes, you feel the weight of the secret they share. She isn't just a servant; she’s the keeper of Hwi’s humanity.
- Eunuch Hong: Played by Ko Kyu-pil, he provides the much-needed levity. His chemistry with Hwi is one of the highlights of the show. He knows the secret, he’s terrified 90% of the time, but he would jump off a cliff for her.
- Shin So-eun: Often, the "rival" female lead is written as a jealous trope. So-eun isn't that. She’s smart, dignified, and honestly, a bit of a tragic figure herself. She’s a pawn in a marriage game she didn't ask to play.
Why the Character Dynamics Work
What makes these characters stick with you long after the credits roll is the "invisible threads" connecting them.
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The show uses the concept of Yeonmo (the Korean title, meaning a deep, longing affection). This isn't just about romantic love. It’s about the affection between a guard and his king, a mother and her lost child, and friends who have to lie to each other to stay alive.
The palace is a place where honesty equals death.
When you watch the interactions between the King and his subordinates, there’s always a double meaning. Every line of dialogue is a chess move. For instance, when the King (Hwi’s father) looks at her, does he see his son? Or does he know? The ambiguity in the early episodes creates a tension that most dramas can't sustain for twenty episodes.
Real Historical Context vs. Fiction
While The King's Affection is based on a manhwa (comic), the characters inhabit a world that mimics the harsh realities of the Joseon Dynasty.
Twin births were often seen as a bad omen in the royal family because they suggested a "confusion" of the bloodline. This historical superstition is the engine that drives the entire plot. If you look at the records of the Joseon kings, the pressure to produce a male heir was staggering. Hwi’s struggle isn't just about her gender; it’s about the fact that her existence is a direct threat to the perceived "purity" of the throne.
The show does a great job of showing how the The King’s Affection characters are all trapped by these societal structures. Even the powerful Lord Sangheon is, in a way, a slave to the idea of family prestige.
Navigating the Emotional Arc
If you're watching for the first time or re-watching to catch the details you missed, pay attention to the color palettes of the characters' clothing.
Hwi is often in deep reds and golds—the colors of power—which contrast sharply with the pale, feminine hanboks she wears in her few moments of freedom. Ji-woon often wears earthy tones, grounding the scenes. These visual cues help ground the characters when the political plot gets too dense.
Honestly, the middle of the series can feel a bit heavy on the palace politics. It’s a lot of "who is siding with which minister." But if you focus on the character motivations, it all makes sense. Everyone is just trying to protect the one person they care about.
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Ji-woon protects Hwi.
Hwi protects her secret.
Hyun protects the peace.
And Lord Sangheon protects his legacy.
It’s a circle of protection that eventually has to break.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Writers
If you’re a fan of character-driven storytelling, there are a few things to take away from how these characters were developed.
First, the power of a secret. A shared secret creates an instant, unbreakable bond between characters (like Hwi and Court Lady Kim).
Second, the importance of "the foil." Ji-woon’s freedom and openness highlight Hwi’s confinement. Without Ji-woon’s personality, Hwi’s struggle wouldn't feel as suffocating.
If you’re looking to dive deeper into the world of Sageuks (historical dramas), here’s what you should do next:
- Watch for the subtle shifts in Park Eun-bin's voice. She lowers her register when acting as the King but lets it fluctuate when she’s alone. It’s a masterclass in vocal acting.
- Research the "Secret Inspector" roles in Joseon history. This gives context to some of Ji-woon’s movements outside the palace.
- Compare the ending of the drama to the original manhwa. There are significant differences in how some of the secondary characters are treated, particularly regarding their ultimate fates.
The characters in The King's Affection aren't just figures in a costume drama. They are studies in sacrifice. Whether it’s the bodyguard Ga-on, whose silence is his shield, or the Queen, who is caught in a loveless marriage for the sake of her family, every person in that palace is paying a price for the crown.
It’s a beautiful, tragic, and ultimately hopeful look at what happens when we stop being who the world wants us to be and start being who we actually are. Even if it costs us everything.