Kang Haneul, Kim So-hyun
Kim So-hyun (Tale of Nokdu) and Kang Haneul (When the Camellia Blooms) are embarking on a new project together called River Where the Moon Rises. It’s a re-imagining of the classic romantic folktale of Princess Pyeonggang and Fool On Dal.
In the original legend, the princess is exiled from the palace when she refuses to listen to her father, the king. She meets and falls in love with the beggar-idiot On Dal and they marry. Through her patience and wisdom, On Dal trains in archery and horsemanship to become unrivaled in the realm. At the national competition, the king bestows upon him the position of general, and when he realizes that On Dal is his daughter’s husband, there’s a heartwarming reunion.
For River Where the Moon Rises, there’s a huge twist from the original legend. Kim So-hyun plays Princess Pyeonggang, who uses On Dal’s sacrificing heart to pursue her dreams to become the next king of Goguryeo.
Set in the falling era of Goguryeo, the Princess Pyeongang in this drama firmly believes that it’s her life’s purpose to become the nation’s pillar and generate more honor so that its reputation won’t continue to falter. Although she was born a princess, she’s been trained as a killer, and her biggest ambition is to become the first female ruler of Goguryeo.
Kang Haneul is to play On Dal’s father, On Hyeob who is the head of one of Goguryeo’s five great political factions. A dignified and humanistic patriot, he’s adored by the populace for being the people’s general. According to the production team of River Where the Moon Rises, he will play a big role in the first half of the drama.
Casting Kang Haneul and Kim So-hyun just makes me more curious about who they’re looking for to be On Dal. Would it be too much to hope for a double Love Alarm-Camellia reunion with Jung Ga-ram? That would just make all my meta dreams come true.
River Where the Moon Rises, written by Han Ji-hoon (9.9 Billion Won Woman) and directed by Yoon Sang-ho (Saimdang, Light’s Diary), will begin airing in the beginning half of next year.