New Korean drama ‘The Forbidden Marriage’ promises to be like no other 


The new Korean drama “The Forbidden Marriage,” streaming exclusively on Prime Video, and starring actress Park Ju-hyun and actors Kim Young-dae and Kim Woo-seok, promises to be like no other historical dramas.

It tells the story about King Lee Heon (Kim Young-dae) who has issued a marriage ban after the death of his wife seven years ago. Park Ju-hyun plays the role of So-rang, a swindling matchmaker who gets arrested and ends up making lies about being able to see the last queen’s spirit to get out of her predicament.

"The Forbidden Marriage" stars (from left) Kim Young-dae, Park Ju-hyun and Kim Woo-seok (Prime Video, MBC)

"The Forbidden Marriage" stars (from left) Kim Young-dae, Park Ju-hyun and Kim Woo-seok (Prime Video)

"The Forbidden Marriage" stars Park Ju-hyun and Kim Young-dae (Prime Video)

"The Forbidden Marriage" (Prime Video)

During a press conference, the three stars talked about “The Forbidden Marriage” and their characters.

“My character So-rang is someone I fell in love with as soon as I read the script. She’s very good with words, a smooth talker, and extremely quick-witted. She’s a cool woman who is able to accomplish whatever she sets her mind on.” You’ll have to watch to see how So-rang ends up making the king believe her schemes,’ said Park Ju-hyun, whose drama credits include “Mouse” and “Zombie Detective.”

Kim Young-dae, 26, who starred in the drama “ Sh**ting Stars,” described his character as the King of Joseon who “loses his crown princess wife seven years ago in a mysterious incident and falls into despair. After he meets So-rang, he rediscovers love and grows.”

Kim Woo-seok of the drama “Military Prosecutor Doberman,” said his role is Lee Shin-won, “a royal investigator and his personality is warm yet cold, but ultimately he’s a warm character.” He is the king’s best friend who is trying to find the woman he almost married before the marriage ban was implemented.

Different drama

“I think our series has a more carefree vibe,” said director Park Sang-woo about “The Forbidden Marriage.”

Park Ju-hyun added, “With our drama, you’ll be able to laugh a lot. We had so much fun on set, so I believe viewers will also have fun.”

As Korean culture has become popular in many countries, Director Park Sang-woo said, “I made a lot of effort to present K-culture in an audiovisual way.” These include the music, which “heavily incorporates a lot of traditional Korean music instruments. I hope it can be a great series that portrays K-culture in a cool way.”

While “The Forbidden Marriage” is a historical drama set during the Joseon era, it has a youthful and contemporary flair to it.

Focusing on young, single characters who are navigating relationships, the story can be surprisingly relatable to today’s youths and singles.

“When I read the script, I saw many fusion style elements. I thought the public could watch the series and could relate to it easily,” said Kim Young-dae.

“There have been many historical dramas thus far, but none like ours,” said Park Ju-hyun.

“The Forbidden Marriage” is streamed only on Amazon Prime Video.