Nishitha Dutta
Created by Ki Min-soo and Hong Seok-gu, ‘The King’s Affection’ is a Korean historical drama series that follows a young princess who leads a life in hiding. Her troubled existence is the result of a rule in her kingdom that orders the killing of female babies. To prevent her death, she is furtively sent outside the palace, and years later, she returns to the palace as a maid, Dam-i. When her twin brother loses his life, she is asked by their mother to assume his identity. After the end of season 1, this intense drama series has left fans pining for more. In case you want to know if a second season is in the making, we have your back!
The King’s Affection Season 2 Release Date
‘The King’s Affection’ season 1 released on October 11, 2021, on Netflix and concluded its 20-episode run on December 14, 2021. Viewers in Korea were able to watch the show on their local network, KBS2. Every episode of the show lasts for about 70 minutes.
With regard to the second season, here’s what you should know. The creators have not yet released any updates about the renewal of the series, and even Netflix has been silent. However, its strong ratings could pave the way for a smooth return, although Korean shows usually last for one season each. The ratings kicked off with a decent 6.2% nationwide audience share and steadily kept growing. So, its home network KBS2 might end up greenlighting it for another season.
As important ratings are, the future of a particular K-drama also depends upon the response it receives. We have seen tremendous internet uproar in cases of a few series that resulted in them getting recommissioned. Fans were unwilling to bid farewell to a few beloved shows such as ‘Voice,’ ‘Hospital Playlist,’ ‘Love Alarm,’ and others. Consequently, all of these served as exceptions to the one-season rule generally followed by Korean shows.
In terms of the storyline, ‘The King’s Affection’ seems to have tied up loose ends and concluded Dam-i’s quest to defeat her grandfather. However, we can’t rule out the possibility that the series might show up in a new form with fresh faces or open up a different premise with the same characters. In case the KBS2 confirms another season soon, it will still take a few months to wrap up production. Taking into consideration all these factors, we expect ‘The King’s Affection’ season 2 to release sometime in Q4 2022.
The King’s Affection Season 2 Cast: Who can be in it?
The first season includes Park Eun-bin playing the lead character Crown Prince Lee Hwi/Yeon Seon/Dam-i. Kim Ro-woon portrays Jung Ji-woon, Dam-i’s teacher, who becomes her love interest. Other main cast members are Go Woo-rim (young Jung Ji-woon), Nam Yoon-su (Lee Hyun/Prince Jaeun), Choi Ro-woon (young Lee Hyun), Bae Yoon-kyung (Shin So-eun), Jung Chae-yeon (Noh Ha-kyung).
The above-mentioned actors are expected to return if the show is recommissioned. Yoon Je-moon (Han Ki-jae) and Choi Byung-chan (Kim Ga-on/Kang Eun-seo) are unlikely to return, as their onscreen characters die by the end of season 1. However, we cannot rule out the possibility of them appearing in guest roles in case the storyline of the prospective season 2 includes flashback scenes. The potential second season might also welcome a few fresh faces to the cast.
The King’s Affection Season 2 Plot: What can it be About?
In the season 1 finale, Dam-i poisons her grandfather as she runs out of ways to save her kingdom. In the process, she swallows the poison as a part of her mission to defeat the old man. However, she survives the incident and is later forgiven by the kingdom folk for pretending to be her twin brother. She also reunites with the love of her life Jung Ji-woon, who promises to never leave her side. If there is a second season, it might pick up from the ending of the first edition. Dam-i will have been reanointed as the Crown Queen, and her journey will likely take off from there.
Read More: Best Korean Dramas on Netflix
