The director of KBS 2TV’s upcoming epic historical drama Sword & Silence has shared new insight into the series, praising Lee Hyun Wook, Jang Hyuk and the rest of the cast for performances he says carry the weight of a nation being built. Director Kim Yeong Jo, best known for Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth, spoke ahead of the drama’s premiere about why this story of ancient Korea still matters today.
Lee Hyun Wook and Jang Hyuk (Credits: Soompi)
Sword & Silence K-Drama Tells How Silla Unified the Three Kingdoms
Sword & Silence follows how the small kingdom of Silla overcame the more powerful kingdoms of Goguryeo and Baekje, as well as China’s Tang dynasty, to unify the Three Kingdoms. It is a story spanning roughly 40 years of history, told across 28 episodes, and Kim Yeong Jo said condensing that sweep into a single drama meant focusing hard on the people at the centre of it.
“I focused on the process of building a nation and the key figures involved,” the director explained. He said the drama explores how Silla differed from Goguryeo and Baekje, and what it took for people from different backgrounds to come together as one community. That theme, he added, is what drew him to the project in the first place.
“I felt that the process through which someone’s decisions can determine the survival or downfall of a nation had a significant message for Koreans living today,” Kim Yeong Jo said. He singled out two threads as especially important: the Kim Chun Chu family’s devotion to their country, and King Munmu’s decision to launch a preemptive attack against Tang.
Lee Hyun Wook and Jang Hyuk Earn High Praise From the Director
Special care went into casting the leads, and the director had warm words for each of them. Of Lee Hyun Wook, who plays Kim Pom Min, the future King Munmu, Kim Yeong Jo said: “With his expressive eyes, he can portray the journey of Kim Pom Min, an unfinished figure who grows into a fully realized king.” The role traces a young man becoming the ruler who would ultimately unify the Three Kingdoms.
Of Jang Hyuk, who plays the formidable Yeon Gaesomun, the director said he was the perfect fit because he possesses “both intense charisma and a boyish innocence.” That combination, he suggested, makes the character far more than a simple antagonist.
The praise extended to the supporting leads as well. Kim Kang Woo, who plays Kim Chun Chu, was commended for beautifully portraying the inner struggles of a character who endures tremendous hardship and sacrifice. Park Sung Woong, who plays Kim Yu Shin, earned praise for delivering outstanding performances with tremendous charisma every time he appears on screen.
Battle Scenes Show the Trials That Forged a King
The battle sequences were among the scenes the director devoted the most effort to. Rather than staging fights for spectacle alone, Kim Yeong Jo said he used them to show both the crises facing Silla at the time and the psychological states of the characters, particularly as Kim Pom Min grows through the course of the story. Viewers, he promised, will be able to see through those battles the trials that shaped the king who unified the Three Kingdoms.
But the story will not focus solely on Silla’s victory. The perspectives and choices of key figures from Goguryeo, Baekje and Tang will also be given room, painting a fuller picture of an era when a single decision could decide whether a nation survived or fell. With a cast the director clearly believes in and a story rooted in one of Korean history’s great turning points, Sword & Silence is shaping up as one of the most ambitious historical dramas of the year.
Also Read: Lee Sung Min Is A Veteran Warrior Who Has Survived Countless Battles In Sacred Jewel | Gong Myoung Signs With BH Entertainment After Six Years at Saram Entertainment
Source: Soompi — read the full story there.