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'Kingdom: Ashin of the North': Release date, plot, cast, trailer, and all you need to know about Korean zombie show's sidequal

'Kingdom: Ashin in the North' is the special episode starring Gianna Jun and Park Byung-eun and will portray the origin story about the miracle flower, or the flower that turns people into zombies

'Kingdom', the Korean Zombie drama and Netflix original, took the world by storm with its stunning portrayal of courtroom politics of the past set within the theme of an apocalypse. The show's second season ended on a cliffhanger after Lee Chang (Ju Ji-hoon) and Seo Bi (Bae Doo-na) track down the origin of the mysterious flower years after finding a cure. This is where the special episode 'Kingdom: Ashin of the North' starring Gianna Jun and Park Byung-eun comes into play. 

Release date

Netflix announced on November 2 that this special episode will be released sometime in 2021. On June 4, 2021, Netflix announced the broadcast date as July 23. 

Plot

According to the press release from Netflix, "'Kingdom: Ashin of the North' is a sidequel from Kingdom season two and a backstory about the mysterious character Lee Chang’s group encountered on their journey north to discover the origins of the infected. The surprising appearance of Gianna Jun in the role of Ashin at the end of Kingdom season two intrigued audiences. In this eagerly anticipated bonus story, Jun as Ashin will unveil the mystery behind her identity. Park Byung-eun, who made a lasting impression in Kingdom season two as the head of the Royal Commandery Min Chi-rok, is also confirmed to star. The new story will detail what had happened to Ashin in the past in the northern region and how the two characters’ fates intertwined."

Cast

For now, only two of the actors have been confirmed to play the lead role in the show including Gianna Jun who was introduced at the end of season 2 as Ashin. 

Jun Ji-hyun aka Gianna Jun as Ashin

Gianna, as she is known by her western name, is a popular Korean actor who was last seen in 'Kingdom' season 2. Initially, many had assumed that Gianna's role was only a cameo, however, Netflix confirmed that she will lead the special episode titled 'Kingdom: Ashin of the North'. Her most popular shows include 'The Legend of the Blue Sea' opposite Lee Min-ho and 'My Love From the Star' starring Kim So-hyun. She is also expected to star in 'Jiri Mountain' aka 'Jirisan' in which she will star opposite her 'Kingdom' season 2 actor Ju Ji-hoon for tvN. 

Park Byung-eun as Min Chi-rok

Actor Park Byung-eun will reprise the role of Min Chi-rok from 'Kingdom' season 2. The royal guard who played a key role will return in this origin show that traces the root of the miracle flower. 

Director and writer

Kim Seong-hun, who directed 'Kingdom' season one and oversaw the production of season two, will team up again with Kim Eun-hee, who scripted the first two seasons, to unravel the origins of the resurrection plant and the secrets behind the infected.

Trailer

To clarify any confusion, 'Kingdom: Ashin of the North' is a special episode that will depict the life of Ashin and how she is connected to the miracle flower. Hence, it is called a "sidequel" as it will depict a parallel story to that of the plot of 'Kingdom'. This is not season 3 of the show. Netflix released a short teaser cut from scenes in season 2 that included Gianna Jun. This also was used to announce the release of the episode in 2021.

If you like this, you'll love: 

Kingdom series

Hyena

The Legend of the Blue Sea

My Love From the Star

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