Michael A. Appel 
When Netflix’s first South Korean original series, Kingdom, premiered in 2019, the horror series received a positive reception. Created and written by Kim Eun-hee, the fictional tale is set during the Joseon Dynasty. Crown Prince Lee Chang (Ju Ji-hoon) sets out on a journey to find the source of a mysterious plague that turns humans into zombies. The second season premiered on the platform in March 2020. Since then, there has been no news regarding a third season. So, has the popular South Korean zombie series been canceled?
[Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers from Kingdom]
“Kingdom” was an international success
Kingdom received positive feedback from critics, gaining 96% on Rotten tomatoes and 8.4 out of 10 out of IMDb. The Netflix series is based on the 2015 webcomic, Kingdom of gods, created by Kim Eun-hee and illustrated by Yang Kyung-il.
In an interview with Forbes, Kim shared that the Kingdom was inspired by the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty – the annual records of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea, kept from 1392 to 1865. The documents detailed thousands of people dying from mysterious illnesses.
Kim decided to take inspiration from these events and created the narrative of Kingdom. In this case, the mysterious disease turned into a zombie plague. “I was like, ‘Maybe I can portray the plague with zombies,’†Kim said. “It will be a very interesting way to convey the sufferings and pains of the people of that time. This is how I came up with the idea of ​​writing Kingdom. ”
When will ‘Kingdom’ return for Season 3?
Netflix has not renewed Kingdom for a third season. However, the show was not canceled either. In July 2021, a special episode entitled Kingdom: North Ashin was posted on the streaming service. The episode serves as a prequel to Season 2 – it delves into the origin story of Ashin (Jun Ji-Hyun). Ashin is introduced at the end of the second season. His journey of revenge ultimately leads to the events unfolding in Kingdom.
Although Netflix has not renewed Kingdom for a third season, the special episode proves that the streaming service is still interested in the series.
In an interview with Hollywood journalistKim revealed that she has enough ideas to expand beyond three seasons, if possible. “Curiously, Kingdom is a series that gives me more energy as I write it, â€she explained. “The cast and crew all have great chemistry, and there is so much more to say. If viewers allow it, I would love to see him develop even until season 10.”
Kim is grateful for the worldwide success of “Kingdom”
Kim expressed gratitude for the success of Kingdom worldwide. “Through social media and online comments, I felt extremely grateful to see even the smallest of the roles receiving so much love,†she told THR.
“What was interesting about the first season was how fans around the world reacted and bonded with the Korean elements of the series, such as Confucian values, hanbok (traditional Korean attire), hanok (Korean traditional houses) or the palace, “she added. “I also really enjoyed watching the dubbed series in other languages.
Although the series is set in a pandemic, Kim hopes viewers connect with the characters and the storyline. “While Kingdom dealing with a plague, I tried to put more emphasis on the story of the people responding to it rather than the plague itself, â€she said.
“Some fight it, some give up and some use it to gain power,” she continued. “If viewers focused more on these characters, I think it might ease the fear of the epidemic.”
Kingdom is streaming now on Netflix.
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