Jun Ji Hyun Says She Was Even Willing to Play a Zombie in ‘Kingdom’ and Is Thrilled to Become Ashin

Jun Ji Hyun expressed her joy about becoming Ashin in the Kingdom series.

On Tuesday, Netflix’s Kingdom: Ashin of the North held its press conference. Jun Ji Hyun, Park Byung Eun, Kim Roe Ha, Koo Kyo Hwan, Kim Si Ah, director Kim Sung Hoon, and writer Kim Eun Hee attended the event.

Kingdom: Ashin of the North will be released as a special episode as a “sidequel” of the Kingdom series. This 92-minute show tells the story behind the origin of the resurrection plant, which has brought an immense tragedy to Joseon and Ashin.

Above all else, the fact that this is Jun Ji Hyun’s drama return in 5 years after the �Legend of the Blue Sea draws attention.

Jun shared, “You know how I appeared at the end of Kingdom Season 2. The people around me reacted like, ‘why did you show up there?’ It’s an honor to be part of the project, especially I’m excited to see its expanding universe with the episode of Ashin.”

Regarding her role Ashin, Jun added that she is a person “who ended up living in terrible pain due to an incident.” She continued, “You can think of her as one of the ‘wildling person’ that lived under the castle. They are the people who have been persecuted and despised because they do not belong anywhere.”

Writer Kim Eun Hee talked about the casting process. “I was a big fan of Jun Ji Hyun, and I believed that she’s an actress with a wide spectrum. Many people call her the queen of rom-com. But I found her darker character in Assassination and The Berlin File more charming,” she added. “I wanted Ashin to have this warrior-with-darkness vibe, so I offered the role. And I’m grateful that she has accepted it.”

Jun then added, “I was a big fan of the Kingdom series and writer Kim Eun Hee. So when I met her, I told her that I’d love to appear on the show, even as a zombie. But I’m glad that she offered me such a big role.”

Kingdom: Ashin of the North will be released on the 23rd.

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