Actor Kim Nam-gil admitted he feels pressure about playing Prince Suyang (King Sejo) in his upcoming film Mongyudowondo.
On the 14th, Kim appeared on Yoo Jae-suk’s YouTube variety show Pinggego and joined Ju Ji-hoon and Yoon Kyung-ho for a conversation. The recent success of the series The Man Who Lives with the King has renewed public interest in the historical relationship between Danjong and Prince Suyang, and Mongyudowondo — which shares a similar historical backdrop and stars Kim Nam-gil and Park Bo-gum — has drawn attention as well.
On Pinggego, Kim said the film’s production has become a secondary talking point alongside director Jang Hang-joon’s The Man Who Lives with the King. He explained that he’s portraying Sejo and tried not to objectify Prince Suyang, but the strong impressions left by the other series have, in his words, essentially erased that approach. He suggested the overlap stems less from the film itself than from the two projects covering similar territory and occupying a shared historical imagination.
Yoo Jae-suk expressed sympathy, noting that Nam-gil has a particular interpretation of Sejo he wants to present, and that he’s understandably worried about the gap between the Sejo audiences have just seen in The Man Who Lives with the King and the Sejo he aims to portray.
The conversation naturally turned to anecdotes about The Man Who Lives with the King. Yoo said he occasionally hears from director Jang Hang-joon, who once joked he wanted to “show off” a bit on film — and now, Yoo quipped, he actually gets to do just that.
Yoon Kyung-ho recounted seeing Yoo Ji-tae at a shop that morning and, in his excitement, grabbing the actor’s shoulder. He admitted they aren’t particularly close, but the film moved him so much that he found himself repeating lines like “keep hitting him until he dies.” He added that there were priests nearby getting ready, which made the moment more awkward.
When Ju Ji-hoon suggested Ji-tae probably didn’t appreciate that, Yoon agreed and apologized, prompting laughter. Kim Nam-gil playfully soothed the moment, saying, “It’s fine — Ji-tae hyung is generous.”
Mongyudowondo centers on the eponymous painting of an idealized paradise and the story of two brothers, Prince Suyang and Prince Anpyeong, whose conflicting visions drive them apart.
Kim Nam-gil plays Prince Suyang, a man consumed by ambition and the desire to become king. As Suyang attempts to decipher his younger brother Anpyeong’s desires through the painting, he grows increasingly ruthless. Kim is said to portray Suyang’s gradual awakening to his own ambition as well as the paranoia and anxiety that drive his suspicion of Anpyeong.
Park Bo-gum’s Prince Anpyeong is a lover of beauty who delights in collecting art. A celebrated calligrapher and accomplished poet-artist — proficient in poetry, calligraphy and painting — Anpyeong has been described as Joseon’s prince of culture. Park will embody Anpyeong’s yearning to realize the beautiful paradise he once saw in a dream.
Lee Hyun-wook appears as An Gyeon, the painter who created Mongyudowondo and served as Anpyeong’s artistic collaborator.
The film is directed by Jang Hoon, whose credits include the 10-million-ticket hit A Taxi Driver, as well as The Front Line and The Brotherhood. Mongyudowondo is currently in post-production.
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