When screenwriter Kim Eun-hee created the webcomic Burning Hell Shinui Nara in 2015 , she had no idea it would become a hit Netflix
When Kim wrote the webcomic, she had not yet created the character whose tragic mistreatment plays a crucial role in spreading the zombie plague. It is Ashin who discovers the resurrection plant that can bring the dead back to life and uses it as an instrument of her revenge.
“I started working on the character Ashin, as I was working on the screenplay for season two,” said Kim. “I was thinking about how the resurrection plant, which mostly thrives in cold weather, made its way down to the south, where there are four different seasons, and arrived at the idea that somebody might have spread it. From then on, I continued to think about why that person would’ve spread such a dangerous plant and eventually created Ashin.”
Unlike some other characters in Kingdom, Ashin is not interested in stopping the zombie plague because humans have treated her badly.
“Ashin is someone who has so much knowledge about the resurrection plant and a lot of grief and resentment (or “han” in Korean),” said Kim. “While the main characters of season one and two were trying to prevent the spread of the infectious disease, Ashin has the opposite goal. If season three is produced in the future, it will be the biggest danger to the crown prince and Joseon, leading to the drama’s tension.”
K-drama fans who know Jun only from her roles in the fantasy rom-coms Legend of the Blue Sea or My Love From Another Star might not immediately envision her in such a serious role, but Kim was well aware of Jun’s range and abilities. Kim also created the screenplay for Jirisan aka Cliffhanger, Jun’s next drama.
“Gianna Jun has incredibly wide range as an actor—she was bubbly and lively in My Sassy Girl, but in Assassination she also proved that she can bring to life a very strong character with a lot of depth,” said Kim. “She also has very good physical skills to pull off action scenes. I thought she was the best actor for Ashin, who carries a lot of pain in her heart, and so I envisioned Gianna Jun playing Ashin from the time when I was working on the screenplay.”
Kim diligently researches the projects she works on and that has contributed to the success of previous hits, such as Signal, which won Best Screenplay awards at both the 2016 APAN Star Awards and the Baeksang Arts Awards.
“I consider research the most important part of working on a screenplay,” she said. “In order to create the character Ashin and get into her head to understand what her priorities are, I had to study the characteristics of the northern regions of Joseon. The research process takes a lot of effort, but the more you research, the more dimensions you will be able to add to your character.”
Still, the character of Ashin was not difficult to create.
“I always have to write and revise my work like my life depends on it,” said Kim. “Of course, there are moments where I get to create a character whose story arc comes relatively easily. And Ashin was one of those characters.”
While Kim says she worked hard on the series and wanted it to be a success, she was “beyond excited” to hear that viewers outside of Korea also loved the series.
“I’m very grateful and happy that they do and the positive feedback also gives me a sense of responsibility that I need to make the rest of the story better, assuming that I’m given the chance to continue to work on the series.”
