Historical drama series “The Moon Embracing the Sun,” adapted from the novel with the same title, tells of a secret, poignant love story between an imaginary king of the Joseon Dynasty and a female psychic against the background of the Korean traditional palace.

Crown prince Yi Hwon and a girl from a noble family named Hur Yeon-woo fall in love at first sight with each other when they happen to meet in the palace. Hwon feels on top of the world when he learns Yeon-woo is selected as his wife, namely, the crown princess. The happiness of the future king and queen doesn’t last long, though, as Yeon-woo suddenly suffers from an unknown disease and dies.

Eight years later, Hwon, who has now become king, still dwells on the painful memory of his teenage past and never forgets his first love, although he married another woman. One day, the king and his royal guard get lost in the forest while traveling in the countryside in disguise. Wandering in the woods, they meet a mysterious woman who calls herself a nameless exorcist. Captivated by the enigmatic shaman, who bears a striking resemblance to the late crown princess, the king names her Wol, which means “the moon.” It turns out Wol is none other than Yeon-woo who is believed to have died long ago. Eight years ago, Yeon-woo was, in fact, ensnared in an evil plot by a group of court officials and the Queen Mother, who wanted to have another woman betrothed to the crown prince for political purposes. Yeon-woo was saved from the brink of death but the fear and shock caused her to lose her memory. Now, the king continues to suspect Wol is his beloved crown princess and secretly investigates what had happened eight years ago. Will the two lovers be able to recognize each other? Will the ill-fated crown princess win back her place? And how will they seek revenge on those who brought them so much pain and sorrow?

The 20-episode historical TV series enjoyed huge popularity, with the viewer ratings exceeding 40 percent for some episodes. The production staff freely used creativity in unfolding the fictional story, since it is not related to history at all. Therefore, it is free from any controversy over historical truths. The audiences were enthralled by the intriguing elements of this romantic fantasy drama, such as the forbidden love between the king and the secretive shaman, a dark conspiracy, black magic and memory loss.

What caused audiences, especially women in almost all age groups, to be glued to the TV was a bunch of handsome young actors with brilliant acting skills. Actor Kim Soo-hyun, in particular, quickly rose to stardom with his role of a cynical yet romantic king in the costume drama. The 24-year-old star was voted by people aged 20 to 30 as the celebrity to whom they would most like to give chocolates to on Valentine’s Day. The heartthrob’s popularity with women viewers is described as “Hwon fever,” referring to the name of the king in the drama. This resulted in a new trend that historical dramas are increasingly appealing to young audiences. That contrasts the traditional viewership pattern in which middle-aged or older people comprise a large portion of viewers of such dramas.