The King and the Queen (Korean: 왕과 비; RR: Wanggwa Bi) is a South Korean television series starring Im Dong-jin and Chae Shi-ra, along with Han Hye-sook, Lee Jin-woo and Ahn Jae-mo.
[2] It was originally scheduled to end by December 1999 to make way for the follow-up drama Taejo Wang Geon; however, as Taejo Wang Geon was postponed to March 2000 due to the withdrawal of director Kim Jae-hyung after bribery allegations, The King and the Queen was extended to cover not only Queen Insoo's successful seizure of power, but also Yeonsangun, the second literati purge of 1504 and Queen Insoo's death.
[10] The King and the Queen was criticized for glorifying Sejo's usurpation of power and giving it historical legitimacy,[10] as well as depicting immorality excessively.
[11] Towards the end of the series, reporter Kang Chan-ho wrote "The King and the Queen is not highlighting great figures, but rather relegating almost all of its characters to the status of vengeance incarnations or animals struggling for survival.
"[11] For The Dong-A Ilbo, the series was unable to receive the support typical of historical dramas due to the IMF crisis that hit the broadcasting industry at the time; however, its ratings began to rise rapidly after King Sejo's death and the more prominent role taken by Queen Insoo, although it received criticism for becoming a palace struggle among women.