Korea–Khitan War (Korean: 고려 거란 전쟁; RR: Goryeo Georan jeonjaeng) is a 2023–2024 South Korean television series based on the 2018 South Korean novel Goryeo–Khitan War: Sweet Rain in the Winter by Gil Seung-soo. Produced to commemorate KBS’ 50th anniversary, the series stars Kim Dong-jun, Choi Soo-jong, and Ji Seung-hyun. It aired on KBS2 from November 11, 2023 to March 10, 2024, every Saturday and Sunday at 21:25 (KST). It is also available for streaming on Wavve in South Korea, on Kocowa in the Americas, and on Netflix in selected regions in Asia.
Contents
Synopsis
The series tells the story of King Hyeonjong of Goryeo (Kim Dong-jun) uniting Goryeo under his tolerant leadership by leading the war against the Khitans to victory, together with Gang Gam-chan (Choi Soo-jong), the King's political mentor and the commander-in-chief of the Goryeo army.
Cast
Main
Kim Dong-jun as King Hyeonjong of Goryeo
Choi Soo-jong as Gang Gam-chan
Ji Seung-hyun as Yang Gyu
Supporting
Lee Won-jong as Kang Cho
Kim Jae-min as Lee Hyun-woon
Han Jae-young as Ji Chae-mun
Lee Ji-hoon as Jang Yeon-woo
Jang In-sub as Hwangbo Yu-ui
Ju Seok-tae as Choe Jil
Ryu Seung-hyun as Kim Hoon
Lee Cheol-min as Gang Min-cheom
Kim San-ho as Jeong Seong
Joo Yeon-woo as Kim Sook-heung
Bang Jae-ho as Kim Jong-hyeon
Jung Ho-bin as Yoo Bang
Lee Jae-gu as Dae Do-su
Kwak Min-seok as Won Jong-seok
Lee Do-guk as Ha Gong-jin
Jo Sang-gi as Tak Sa-jeong
Kim Joong-don as Jo Won
Kim Sun-bin as Choe Chung
Kim Hyuk as Emperor Shengzong of Liao
Kim Jun-bae as So Bae-ap (Xiao Paiya)
Lee Sang-hong as Yayul Bun-no (Yelü Pennu)
Park Jung-hwan as Yayul Jeok-ro (Yelü Dilu)
Kim Gu-taek as Han-gi
Extended
Lee Chang-jik as Lee Joo-jeong
Original soundtrack
Reception
Critical response
Puah Ziwei of NME rated the series 5 out of 5 stars, claiming that "this well-written Korean historical series will keep you hooked on its bloody tale of war and survival." He praised the conflict between Kang Cho and Gang Gam-chan, respectively played by Lee Won-jong and Choi Soo-jong, and the "delightfully malleable" performance of Baek Sung-hyun who played Mokjong, "an openly gay king" without any heirs. He also applauded the fact that the show depicted the times of Goryeo–Khitan War through an "old-school sageuk charm and style", and stated that "much like the anxious times it is inspired by, Korea-Khitan War is driven by purpose and complex interpersonal dynamics that leave little time for theatrics". Choi Bo-yun noted that in the series, there is a narrative of putting people first even in the midst of war, shedding light on less well-known battles and figures of Korean history such as Yang Gyu, and that the growth of King Hyeonjong who won the two wars against the Khitans with the help of Gang Gam-chan is worth watching.
Historical novel author Gil Seung-soo, who wrote the original novel which the series is based on, expressed his disappointment about the progression of the show after episode 16, since he was dissatisfied by the fact that it not only deviated from his novel, but also from actual Goryeo history. He criticized the attitude of the scriptwriter and the way he anachronistically portrayed the local gentries of early 11th century Goryeo, claiming that the series' depiction is just as absurd as "BTS suddenly appearing right after the Korean war" and that the production team should have been more careful to depict history accurately. The article noted that many viewers also complained about the storyline after episode 16, even visiting author Gil's personal blog to leave a comment about their concerns for the series.