7 things to expect from ‘Kingdom: Ashin of the North,’ which premieres July 23

Fans are hungry for more after the cliffhanger ending of “Kingdom” Season 2, where Lee Chang’s group embarks on a mission to discover the origins of the resurrection plant.

In their journey, the group comes face to face with Ashin, who is revealed to be portrayed by Jun Ji Hyun.

The sudden appearance of the new character left fans wanting more of the “Kingdom” series.

Here are 7 things viewers can expect from “Kingdom: Ashin the North.”

1. It’s a 92-minute special episode that tells the series’ backstory.

Within an hour and a half, the special episode will tell the backstory of the “Kingdom” series which takes place in the Amnok River.

Show writer Kim Eun Hee said it would tell the story of “the beginning of everything, the root of it all.”

While it is a special episode of the first two seasons, it features “a new world not featured in Season 1 or 2 where beauty, deep suffering and genre-specific intrigue coexist,” according to director Kim Seong Hun.

2. It promises to unravel mysteries.

“Kingdom: Ashin of the North” will tackle who is Ashin and the origins of the resurrection plant which starts the tragic infections throughout Joseon.

This show will answer questions viewers might have from the first and second seasons as it unravels the mysteries of both Ashin and the resurrection plant.

3. The writer researched on Joseon northern territories, where the story was set.

Kim Eun Hee envisioned the resurrection plant to have “cold” properties, leading to her interest in Joseon’s northern territories.

Based on the writer’s research, she thought the resurrection plant could have grown in that vast land with prohibited access and the story could revolve within the four outposts that were abandoned in 1459 by the Seongjeoyains who lived there.

The four abolished outposts and six garrison forts were established between the Amnok and the Duman rivers for military administration purposes during the reign of King Sejong.

The writer’s imagination was brought to life in the story, which took place at the northern border prior to the events that happened in the first season of “Kingdom.”

4. This episode will tell the story of Ashin, played by Jun Ji Hyun.

Ashin, the person who discovers the resurrection plant, is portrayed by the talented “My Sassy Girl” star Jun Ji Hyun.

Her character grew up in the Amnok River border region as one of the Seongjeoyains who endured poverty and the harsh cold and were ostracized.

She is a “warrior with internalized pain” who suffers the loss of her loved ones.

Jun Ji Hyun will be showing Ashin’s “unspoken inner pain and rage” through her action scenes.

Kim Eun Hee has commended Jun Ji Hyun for her performance, saying she is an actor who “can express inner pain and suffering,” adding that “I don’t think there’s an actor better suited for the Ashin role than Jun Ji-hyun.”

5. It deals with the concept of han.

Kim Seong Hun said the episode “deals with the concept of han,” which meant deep-seated resentment and anguish.

“Kingdom: Ashin of the North shows this kind of ‘han’ felt by not just an individual but also by a group,” he said.

After Ashin is faced with tragedies and her want for revenge, the choices she makes and the consequences she must face give light to the idea of han, which according to the director and writer is unique to the Korean collective psyche.

6. Expect to see scenes shot at compelling locations.

Given that the resurrection plant had cold properties, the setting of the show was shot in “vast open lands and bluish black coniferous forests.”

This setting “offers the viewers a different kind of beauty than the landscape of Kingdom’s previous seasons.”

The filming did not take place in the vicinity of Amnok, however the production crew travelled to various places to recreate the features of the location where the tale happened, which involved “dense forests with pristine aura, the Amnok River aglow with a full moon, stretches of reed fields and frosted plains covered in snow.”

7. The episode features an impressive lineup of talented actors.

Apart from Jun Ji Hyun, the cast also includes Park Byung Eun, Kim Si A, Kim Roi Ha, and Koo Kyo Hwan, among other actors.

“Kingdom: Ashin of the North” will premiere on Netflix on July 23. – RC, GMA News