If you haven’t watched the second season of Kingdom, a.k.a. Netflix’s zombie-slash-political K-drama, then this is your chance to look away now. (You were warned: Major spoilers ahead!!!) On the other hand, if you’re reading this because you’ve already finished all six episodes, then we welcome you with open arms.
So...What a cliffhanger, huh? Those plot twists will haunt us for weeks (or months, or years, depending on how soon they plan to release the third season, TBH). And speaking of the final episode, can we please talk about that epic Jun Ji-hyun cameo? Marking her return to the small screen after three years (ICYDK, her last appearance was in Legend of the Blue Sea), the Hallyu star’s much-awaited comeback came in the form of a goosebump-inducing scene where she’s revealed to be the mystery girl who's presumably the mastermind behind the return of the plague, and her face was the last we've seen before the show officially closed its second season. Talk about saving the best for last!
FYI though, Ji-hyun is not the only new character to make an appearance in season two. The show introduced us to several others who are likely to play key roles in the third installment of the beloved K-drama starring Ju Ji-hoon and Bae Doona. Need a refresher? Well, in case you missed them, below’s a quick roundup of the new actors whose roles definitely piqued our curiosity:
JUN JI-HYUN
The finale had everyone asking, “Who is this mystery woman?” Standing in the middle of a room with scattered body parts lying on the floor and zombies locked inside a cage, the show is clearly leading us to believe that she’s poised to become more or less a villain in the upcoming season, but we can never really confirm anything until we get to watch it (and we won’t for at least another year).
If you’re a fan of Ji-hyun though, the good news is that she’s in talks to star in a new K-drama entitled Mount Jiri, which will be penned by the same writer who did Kingdom. It’s slated to premiere in late 2020 and will be her first official drama role since The Legend of the Blue Sea concluded in 2017.
Where you’ve seen her before: My Sassy Girl (2001), Windstruck (2004), My Love from Star (2013), and Legend of the Blue Sea (2016)
KIM KANG-HOON
The 10-year-old was also introduced in the last episode, revealing him as the young king who currently sits on the throne instead of Crown Prince Lee Chang (Ju Ji-hoon). The suspense escalates during the final seconds of the show, panning the camera into his royal chamber as he sleeps, during which we eventually see a worm crawling into his brain. Yikes!
Where you’ve seen him before: When the Camellia Blooms (2019), Hotel del Luna (2019), Romance Is a Bonus Book (2019)
AHN JAE-HONG
You probably recognize him as Kim Joo-man from Fight for My Way. Jae-hong, unlike Ji-hyun and Kang-hoon, did not make his first appearance in the last episode. In episode 5, he was first seen in the palace during the attack of the undead, minding his own business inside a tiny toilet room, unaware that a horde of zombies was waiting for him on the other side of the door. Years later, it’s revealed that he’s still alive—and more importantly, he’s become the young king’s trusted eunuch.
Where you’ve seen him before: Fight for My Way (2017), Be Melodramatic (2019), The Legend of the Blue Sea (2016), Reply 1988 (2015)
JO HAN-CHUL
When he first appeared in that fishing scene with Crown Prince Lee Chang, the mystery that surrounded his character as the prince's "distant uncle" seemed almost like a hint that he's poised to play a bigger role in the series. However, he didn't make an appearance in any of the important scenes that followed suit, and he was nowhere in sight when the brutal massacre was happening inside the palace. So was that just a random reunion scene then? Definitely not. Later on, in the last episode, the actor makes another appearance as one of the young king's advisors, which signifies the key role he'll be portraying in the next season.
Where you’ve seen him before: Perfume (2019), Romance Is a Bonus Book (2019), 100 Days My Prince (2018), Tomorrow with You (2017)
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