Dear Hongrang: Netflix’s Korean Period Drama That Blends Memory, Mystery, and Forbidden Love
Set in the twilight of the Joseon Dynasty, Dear Hongrang draws you into a tale of memory lost, power reclaimed, and emotions long denied. Slated for global release on May 16, 2025, this 11-episode Netflix original melds historical authenticity with poetic tension.
| Character | Actor | Role & Traits | Acting Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hongrang | Lee Jae-wook | Heir to the Min Merchant Guild. Returns after 12 years of disappearance with no memory, harboring a mysterious past. | Emotion building in silence. Delivers a mysterious atmosphere through restrained gaze and tone. |
| Jae-i | Jo Bo-ah | Hongrang's half-sister. Suspicious of her brother's return, yet shaken by forbidden emotions. | Subtle expression of complex emotions. Balances strength and vulnerability with precision. |
| Mujin | Jung Ga-ram | Adopted as an heir after Hongrang's disappearance. Ambitious to retain his position. | First historical drama. Portrays composed and sharp duality with stability. |
| Min Yeon-ui | Uhm Ji-won | Hongrang's birth mother and the true power within the merchant guild. Driven by both maternal obsession and ambition. | Quietly conveys internal turmoil. Deep emotional acting stands out. |
| Shim Yeolguk | Park Byung-eun | Head of the Min Guild and Jae-i's father. A cold and highly ambitious figure. | Exudes charisma that combines authority and intrigue. Anchors the narrative with weight. |
| Prince Hanpyeong | Kim Jae-wook | Painter with the finest aesthetic sense in Joseon. A free-spirited noble obsessed with art. | Delicate eye acting that crosses emotion and artistry. A notable return to period drama. |
1. Historical Setting & Narrative Structure
During the late Joseon period, when commerce flourished and class barriers began to loosen, the Min Merchant Guild reigned supreme in wealth and influence. Its heir, Hongrang, mysteriously disappeared at the age of eight. Twelve years later, he returns with no memory of his past. His arrival unsettles the carefully stacked hierarchy of the family-run merchant empire.
Jae-i, his half-sister, suspects something is amiss and embarks on a search for the truth. The bond between them deepens, marred by suspicion and complicated affection. Dear Hongrang seamlessly blends mystery, melodrama, and period storytelling, highlighting themes of family, identity, and forbidden love under rigid societal norms.
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| Drama <Dear Hongrang> poster |
2. Original Novel & Creative Intention
Written by author Jang Da-hye, the novel "Dear Hongrang: Swallowing Gold" was inspired by an actual case in France and infused with yearning from an era when love letters could go unsent forever. The author intended to capture the delicacies of longing, broken promises, and unspeakable intimacy under tightly fastened garments and stricter laws.
That artistic sensibility is carried into the series, with each frame echoing the novel’s quiet pathos. The drama becomes not just an adaptation but an expansion—deepening emotional layers and philosophical tensions. The original’s poetic fragility is preserved, making the TV version a complement rather than a substitute.
3. Characters & Performances
Lee Jae-wook plays Hongrang with haunting restraint, embodying a man haunted by a past he can’t recall. Jo Bo-ah delivers a compelling performance as Jae-i, torn between reason and longing. Jung Ga-ram, in his historical drama debut, impresses as Mujin, a fostered heir driven by ambition and insecurity.
Veterans Uhm Ji-won and Park Byung-eun bring gravitas as the matriarch and patriarch of Min Merchant Guild. Kim Jae-wook’s portrayal of Prince Hanpyeong, an eccentric artist with a tragic soul, adds color and complexity. Together, they create a network of tension and desire, each performance adding a note to the drama’s melancholic symphony.
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4. Direction & Production
Director Kim Hong-sun, known for his gritty thrillers and genre-fluid storytelling, helms Dear Hongrang with cinematic precision. Screenwriter Kim Jin-a (of Apple TV+’s Dr. Brain) brings psychological acuity to the script, weaving layers of identity, trauma, and power struggle. The collaboration yields a tightly paced and emotionally rich series.
Production companies include Studio Dragon and Ace Maker Movie Works. Lavish sets built in authentic hanok villages, meticulous period costumes, and an atmospheric score blending traditional instruments with modern tones lend the drama a tactile elegance. Every detail—from candlelight shadows to rustling silk—feels deliberate.
5. Behind-the-Scenes Glimpses
The filming set became a breathing world of its own. Amid hanok courtyards and fog-laced landscapes, actors immersed themselves in their roles. Lee Jae-wook reportedly remained in character between takes, while Jo Bo-ah refined Jae-i’s layered reactions through pre-scene note-taking. Even delays due to unexpected rain became creative opportunities for cast reflection.
There were birthday surprises, shared tea under eaves, and the final day—where no one hurried to remove their costumes, as if reluctant to exit the world they had built together. The energy on set was not just professional, but profoundly communal.
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Lee Jae-wook as Hongrang |
6. Themes & Viewing Highlights
Dear Hongrang isn't about swift plot twists but slow, seeping tension. The drama’s real allure lies in the unsaid—in glances that linger too long, in hands that nearly reach. The opulence of Joseon culture, the weight of etiquette, and the suffocating grip of propriety frame a romance that is as tragic as it is tender.
Through visual poetry and restrained passion, the drama asks: What is truth, when memory is fragile? What is love, when expression is forbidden? It’s a quiet storm of emotion where every silence speaks volumes.
7. Conclusion & Anticipation
Dear Hongrang is not just a period drama—it’s an elegy, a psychological romance, and a study of silence all at once. With just 11 episodes, it promises a concentrated dose of character-driven storytelling, backed by high-caliber performances and evocative direction. For international viewers interested in emotionally complex stories wrapped in rich cultural fabrics, Dear Hongrang is a must-watch.
As the final scene fades to black, you might not find answers—but you will carry questions. And perhaps, that is the very point. Dear Hongrang is a drama not merely to be seen, but to be felt, long after the credits roll.
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