Lee Gyu-lee is a business writer at The Korea Times, focusing primarily on IT & telecommunications, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA. Prior to this, she has covered a wide range of cultural news, from film, television and K-pop to lifestyle and fashion.
Kim Hye-soo says she learned about motherhood in 'Under the Queen's Umbrella'
A scene from tvN's series "Under the Queen's Umbrella" / Courtesy of tvN
By Lee Gyu-lee
By Lee Gyu-lee
Actress Kim Hye-soo said that her role as a determined, eager queen in tvN's recent series “Under the Queen's Umbrella” taught her what a mother's love is.
“I respect every mother in this world. (Through the series,) I've learned a lot about the power of a mother's love and love in general. I hope (the series) gave everyone in this world a sense of comfort,” she said through the network.
Led by director Kim Hyung-sik, whose previous work includes the period series “Secret Door” (2014), the period drama series revolves around a queen (Kim) who is a dedicated mother of three rowdy sons. Throwing away her pride and grace as a queen, she does what it takes to mold one of her sons to become the king of the Joseon period, against her competitors.
The 16-part series ended on Sunday with its highest viewership rating of 16.9 percent.
Kim expressed gratitude toward the series' wrap, thanking the viewers and her co-stars. “I thank everyone for loving and supporting 'Under the Queen's Umbrella,' for empathizing with the princes' characters. We were able to wrap it up successfully, thank you,” she said.
The series' actors, Choi Won-young, who played King Lee Ho, and Ok Ja-yeon, who played the concubine, also thanked viewers for the series' successful wrap.
“Like the title, working on this series was like enjoying each other's company under a big umbrella. I'm thankful to be part of the journey that allowed me to feel passionate to work towards the same goal together and be grateful for each other,” he said. “I extend my gratitude towards the viewers for loving and supporting the series we've made with our sweat and effort.”
Ok added, “I'm really happy that the series I poured my heart into has gotten so much love.”
The two shared that they had such a blissful time working with veteran actors like Kim Hye-soo and Kim Hae-sook, who played the mother of the king.
“When I made scenes with Kim Hye-soo, I felt very subtle emotions and charisma, which I wanted to learn … I felt very fortunate to have this opportunity to work with such great stars like Kim Hye-soo and Kim Hae-sook,” Ok said.
Choi also added that he had learned a lot from his co-stars.
“Every moment I acted with fellow co-stars was a moment to learn. And I was thrilled to have worked with them,” he said.