The King of Legend (근초고왕)

Brought to you by WITH S2 Written In The Heavens Subbing Squad

WITH S2 Presents -

KING GEUNCHOGO -

Starring -

- GAM WOOSUNG - as Buyeo Gu/King Geunchogo

- KIM JISOO - as Buyeo Hwa

- LEE JONGWON - as Sayu/King Gogukwon

- AHN JAEMO - as Jin Seung

- LEE JIHOON - as Hae Geon

- YOON SEUNGWON - as King Biryu

- SEO INSEOK - as Sahul

- HAN JINHEE - as Buyeo Jun

- CHOI MYEONGGIL - as Hae Sosul

- KIM DOYEON - as Jin Saha

- KIM EUNGSOO - as Jobul

- HAN JUNGSOO - as Bokgu Geom

- KANG SEONGJIN - as Payoon

- Written by - JEONG SEONGHEE, YOO SUNGYEOL

- Produced by - YOON CHANGBEOM, KIM YOUNGJO

KING GEUNCHOGO -

Episode 1 -

The Chronicles of Baekje -

- 37 BC, Jolbon Fortress, Goguryeo (current Liaoning) -

Baekje's long history began in Goguryeo.

The year 37 BC. Jumong proclaims Jolbon as the capital....

of his newly-founded kingdom, Goguryeo.

Soseono -

Behind the foundation of Jumong's Goguryeo...

was the influence of the tribe led by Soseono, the Sono.

Yuri!

Here...

Rise.

Father.

Yuri!

Good.

But the alliance between Jumong and Soseono did not last long,

for he might have gained Goguryeo thanks to her efforts,

but Soseono had always been too burdensome a presence for him.

Yuri -

Father!

Take your leave!

You...

If you have eyes to see, take a good look.

Do not try to enrage me!

While my sons' bodies were being pierced by arrows and spears,

what was your son Yuri doing?

Soseono!

While Yuri was idling away in luxury and leisure at the Buyeo Royal Palace,

my sons took up arms and joined the war effort alongside you,

Biryu & Onjo (Soseono's sons) -

helping the foundation of this country.

Is that not right?

Your Highness spoke the truth!

Shut your gobs!

Jumong (aka Chumo, Goguryeo's Founder) -

Say whatever you wish, but this country belongs to Chumo!

And hence it shall be Yuri's country!

Goguryeo does not solely belong to you.

Does it?!

Are you telling me that Goguryeo is not mine?

This Goguryeo of ours belongs to my father, Yeontachwibal*,

to me, Soseono,

my sons, Biryu and Onjo,

and to all the courtiers and loyal subjects of the Sono* tribe I lead,

people who staked their lives and helped you bring forth its foundation.

So live up to your oath.

The promise that you would in due time abdicate the throne to my son.

Soseono!

What heroine.

Indeed, Soseono brims with heroic courage!

However,

Goguryeo's crown prince is Yuri.

Your Majesty.

Just as two heroes cannot grace the same sky,

how could I share the Royal berth with you?

And that is why I hereby proclaim...

that Soseono is no longer Goguryeo's Royal Consort!

That you cannot be Chumo's wife!

Father!

These are the nuptial offerings your father Yeontachwibal gave me.

And these are yours.

Fine...

I shall leave.

I shall fulfill your wish and leave this entire Goguryeo to you.

I, Soseono,

shall leave my beloved Goguryeo,

leave my Jolbon,

my homeland, Sono,

and all my subjects.

Your Highness!

Ohh Ohh!

However...

Open your eyes and behold.

Behold at what I and my sons will achieve.

Do not bring infamy upon our land!

Yuri, you bear witness as well.

How my sons Biryu and Onjo will transcend your country's every achievement.

A thousand or even more generations may pass,

but one day my descendants will trample upon Goguryeo with all their might.

Soseono did not leave Goguryeo alone.

Subjects of the Sono tribe and countless other Goguryeo people followed her.

They endured scorching heat and chilling cold, heavy downpours and snowstorms,

and after a mere eighteen months from their departure,

their southward advance reached Ungni River.

18 BC, Buaak (current Mt. Samgak, Seoul) -

Hurrah! Hurrah!

Hurrah! Hurrah!

Mother...

Yes...

It is the kind of grandiose water course we could never witness in Goguryeo.

Ungni River (current Han River) -

Never before have I witnessed such resplendent, wondrous gift of nature.

Let us build our country here,

and erect our capital on these lustrous and glittering shores.

We will call our nation Balkji*.

And that is how Soseono founded Baekje, along the Ungni River.

Her second son, Onjo, was proclaimed the first ever Baekje ruler,

after which Soseono was posthumously christened as "State Grandmother,"

becoming Baekje people's spiritual leader.

341, Michuhol (current Incheon) -

- Baekje's Royal family was the Buyeo clan, a clear homage to their Buyeo roots. -

- Historical records often used Yeo alone to define them, -

- and with the modern surname-name separation having little meaning in the era, -

- characters in this show might often use "Yeogu" despite it being "Buyeo Gu," and so on -

Horo River (current Imjin River) -

Your Highness!

Prince Yeogu!

Your Highness!

Wait, the young master is here. Young Master Jinseung.

Your Highness.

I was just looking for one more hand, glad you came.

How can you squander your time here, with Hanseong so close?

Look at how he handles this precious salt...

Turn the boat around.

You need to participate in the State Grandmother's ceremony!

- Hanseong Royal Palace - (Capital of Hanam Wirye Seong/Hanseong Baekje)

Queen Hae Sosul -

Your Majesty.

And Yeogu?

Buyeo Chan (Crown Prince) & Buyeo San -

Seems like he left for Horo River from Michuhol.

How can he not even come visit his own mother?!

Royal Consort Jin Saha -

And how could a criminal dare to set foot past the Royal Palace's gates?

You really are not going to Hanseong?

Let's go.

Hyungnim.

Buyeo Gu -

Is that a place I could visit at my own discretion?

Without His Majesty's consent,

should this criminal violate such solemn ceremony with his presence,

wouldn't that old cur's rabid fury make him collapse?

Jin Seung -

Still, for how much longer will you keep trading salt?

Payoon -

You seem to enjoy wasting your time asking useless questions?!

Bokgu Geom -

I have dreamed of serving you as a Baekje man of arms from day one.

You could follow Jinseung, then.

Seems that trading salt is up to you and I now.

Let's go, Payoon.

Yes.

- Hurrah for His Majesty! - Hurrah!

King Biryu (11th Baekje ruler) -

Yeogu might have committed great infamy against Baekje,

but it brings me great distress to witness his mother so fervently long for him.

May you bless him with your benevolence and summon him.

- Give me the cloth. - Yes.

Father.

- Lord Heukgang Sahul (Buyeo Gu's Grandfather) - - Jin Jeong (Councilor, leading figure in the Jin clan backing King Biryu) -

Pardon my belated arrival, Sire.

Most gracious State Grandmother.

What country is our Baekje?

You led our tribe and founded Goguryeo with Jumong the Great,

and finally started our motherland's glorious legacy.

South Pyeongyang Fortress (Goguryeo) -

Is not Goguryeo's continued domination of the great north...

just one of the vile pretexts they use to repeatedly belittle us?

Sayu -

Soldiers of Goguryeo!

Twenty-six years have passed since they broke their promise...

[*the last post-Gojoseon commandery of the Han, current Hwanghae Province]

of meeting in parley, after we together repelled enemy forces in Daifang*.

But now His Majesty shall meet Sayu of Goguryeo in a covenant,

so we humbly beseech your support.

Thirty thousand of your descendants were sacrificed...

to lay destruction upon the Han usurpers of the Daifang Commandery.

Your servant and grandson Biryu...

shall demand the land which to us belongs at all cost.

Never again shall I or Baekje tolerate Goguryeo's contempt!

Heed my words!

Who does the Daifang territory belong to?

To Your Majesty!

From Sabi River* to Myeonak**,

who does that land belong to?

It belongs to Baekje!

And who did Goguryeo originally belong to?

To Her Highness the State Grandmother!

Indeed!

Baekje belongs to our State Grandmother Soseono!