The Goryeo-Khitan War (TV Series) 2023 Review

"The Goryeo-Khitan War" is a historical TV Series about the second and third periods of the Goryeo-Khitan War.

The Goryeo-Khitan War

Goryeo–Khitan War (Korean: 고려 거란 전얁) is a new South Korean TV show that stars Choi Soo-jong, Ji Seung-hyun, and Kim Dong-jun. The first episode is set to air on KBS2 on November 11, 2023, and every Saturday and Sunday at 20:25 (KST).

Profile

DramaKorea-Khitan War / Goryeo-Khitan War
Hangul고려거란전쟁
DirectorJeon Woo-Sung, Kim Han-Sol
WriterLee Jung-Woo
NetworkKBS2
No. of Episodes32
Release DateNov 11, 2023 – Feb 25, 2024
RuntimeSaturday & Sunday 21:20
LanguageKorean
CountrySouth Korea

The Goryeo-Khitan War (TV Series): Story

“The Goryeo-Khitan War” is a historical TV Series about the second and third periods of the Goryeo-Khitan War. In the story, King Hyeonjong of Goryeo and his political teacher, Commander-in-Chief Gang Gam Chan, lead a war against Khitan and bring the people of Goryeo together. Gil Seung Soo’s book “Goryeo-Khitan War: Sweet Rain in the Winter” is the inspiration for the drama. 

The drama will start airing on KBS2 on November 11, 2023, and there will be 32 episodes in total. Kim Dong Jun plays King Hyeon Jong of Goryeo, Ji Seung Hyun plays Yang Gyu, Lee Won Jong plays Gang Jo, Kim Tae Han plays Xiao Pai Ya, and Kim Hyuk plays Emperor Sheng Zong of Liao. Aisha Choi plays Gang Gam Chan.

The Goryeo-Khitan War (TV Series): Cast

Main Characters:

1) Kim Dong-jun as King Hyeonjong of Goryeo (Instagram)

Kim Dong-jun

Kim Dong-jun is a South Korean singer and actor. He was born in Busan, South Korea, on February 11, 1992. As of 2010, he was a member of the boy band ZE:A. Later, he joined the subgroups ZE:A Five and ZE:A J

Besides the things he does with his group, he has made a name for himself as an actor, especially through TV shows like “The Fugitive of Joseon” (2013), “Neighborhood Lawyer Jo Deul-ho” (2016), “Black” (2017), “About Time” (2018), and “The Goryeo-Khitan War” (2023). 

Also, he played lead roles in movies like “A Company Man” (2012), “Take My Hand” (2014), and “Dead Again” (2017). At the moment, Kim Dong-jun is signed with Major.


2) Ji Seung-hyun as Yang Gyu (Instagram)

Ji Seung-hyun

Ji Seung-hyun is a South Korean actor. He was born in Andong, South Korea, on December 19, 1981. He went to Kyung Hee University in Seoul to study English Language and Literature. His first movie role was in “A Goose’s Dream” (2008). 

Since then, he’s been in a number of TV series, including “OB & GY” (2010), “My Country: The New Age” (2019), “Search: WWW” (2019), “Mr. Sunshine” (2018), and “The Goryeo-Khitan War” (2023). He is signed with Big Whale Entertainment right now.


3) Choi Soo-jong as Gang Gam-chan (Instagram)

Choi Soo-jong

Choi Soo-jong is a South Korean actor who was born on December 18, 1962, in Seoul, South Korea. His first role was as a young actor in the 1987 TV soap series “Love Tree.” Choi has been in movies, on TV, and as the host of a number of award shows. 

He is known all over the world for playing lead parts in a number of very popular shows. “Emperor of the Sea” and “Dae Jo Yeong” are two of his most famous works. Choi is married to actress Ha Hee Ra, and the two of them have two children. It is well known that Choi is committed to living a healthy life by working out regularly and eating well.


Supporting Characters:

People from Goryeo:

  • Lee Won-jong as Kang Cho
  • Kim Sun-bin as Choe Chung
  • Jang In-seop as Hwangbo Yu-ui
  • Han Jae-young as Ji Chae-mun
  • Joo Yeon-woo as Kim Sook-heung
  • Kim Joong-don as Jo Won
  • Ju Seok-tae as Choe Jil
  • Ryu Seung-hyun as Kim Hoon
  • Seo Jae-woo as Kim Jong-hyeon
  • Kim Jae-min as Lee Hyun-woon
  • Lee Do-guk as Ha Gong-jin
  • Lee Cheol-min as Gang Min-cheom
  • Kim San-ho as Jeong Seon
  • Kwak Min-seok as Won Jong-seok
  • Jung Ho-bin as Yoo Bang
  • Lee Ji-hoon as Jang Yeon-woo
  • Lee Jae-gu as Dae Do-su
  • Jo Sang-gi as Tak Sa-jeong

People from Khitan Empire:

  • Kim Gu-taek as Han-gi
  • Kim Hyuk as Emperor Shengong of Liao
  • Lee Sang-hong as Yayul Bun-no (Yelü Pennu)
  • Kim Jun-bae as So Bae-ap (Xiao Paiya)
  • Park Jung-hwan as Yayul Jeok-ro (Yelü Dilu)

Goryeo royal family and subjects:

  • Jo Hee-bong as Yoo Jin
  • Han Seung-hyun as Chae Chung-soon
  • Oh Jae-young as Yoo Chung-jeong
  • Lee Min-young as Empress Cheonchu
  • Lee Si-a as Queen Wonjeong
  • Park Yoo-seung as Choe Sa-wi
  • Kim Jeong-hak as Choe Hang
  • Gong Jung-hwan as Kim Chi-yang
  • Jo Seung-yeon as Kim Eun-bu
  • Kim Oh-bok as Yang Hyeop
  • Baek Sung-hyun as King Mokjong of Goryeo
  • Ha Seung-ri as Won-seong
  • Lee Poong-un as Yoo Haeng-gan

Others:

  • Yoon Bok-in as Gang Gam-chan’s wife
  • Kang Shin-il as Monk Jin-gwan
  • Lee Jae-yong as Park Jin

Extended:

  • Lee Chang-jik as Lee Joo-jeong

Why I Watch This TV Show?

“The Goryeo-Khitan War” might be interesting to watch because of the following:

  • Since the drama is based on a book by Gil Seung Soo, the story should be well-written and interesting.
  • You can learn about the background of the Goryeo-Khitan War while watching the drama because it takes place in the past.
  • There are some very good actors in the group, like Choi Soo Jong, Kim Dong Jun, and Ji Seung Hyun, so the acting should be very good.
  • You can watch the show as soon as it comes out because it will be on KBS2 starting November 11, 2023.
  • The show has 32 episodes, so the story will keep you interested for a long time.

I hope this helps you choose whether to watch “The Goryeo-Khitan War” or not!