Sword & Silence: Lee Hyun Wook’s First Epic Historical

Some actors play it safe. Lee Hyun Wook just picked the biggest challenge on the table. His upcoming drama Sword & Silence is his first epic historical drama, and he plays a young prince who grows into one of Silla’s greatest rulers.

Sword & Silence: Overview

Detail	Info
Drama	Sword & Silence
Lead role	Lee Hyun Wook as Kim Pom Min (future King Munmu)
Father figure	Kim Kang Woo as Kim Chun Chu
Director	Kim Yeong Jo (Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth)
Premiere	November 14, 9:20 p.m. KST
Setting	Silla’s fight to unify the Three Kingdoms

The Story: A Small Kingdom Against Giants

The drama tells how little Silla outlasted the mightier Goguryeo, Baekje and China’s Tang dynasty to unify the Three Kingdoms, ending roughly 600 years of warfare. Learn more about the real ruler on Wikipedia.

A Prince Who Refuses to Bow

Kim Pom Min starts out proud and strong-willed, and he clashes with his father over a policy of bowing to rival kingdoms. Then the trials pile up. Slowly he absorbs his father’s vision while learning the flexibility every good ruler needs, and he eventually claims the throne as Silla’s 30th king.

Why Lee Hyun Wook Said Yes?

After several period pieces, he fell in love with the genre and wanted a fresh test. In his own words, he had never tried an epic historical drama before. A strong lineup of senior and junior actors, plus a skilled crew, made saying no pretty much impossible.

The Hardest Part of the Role

Kim Pom Min is coolheaded but weighed down by inner conflict, so Lee Hyun Wook focused on subtlety: “I wanted to portray his inner struggles delicately.” The trickiest stretch was his younger years. He had to avoid playing the prince as too lighthearted or too serious while showing real growth.

What to Look Forward To?

Lee Hyun Wook says the real draw is the power struggle. Ambition, greed, personal bonds and rivalries between kingdoms all tangle together, and that friction fuels every battle. If you like political drama with swordplay, this one sounds made for you.

Want something to watch until November? Catch Lee Hyun Wook in The Queen Who Crowns. For more drama previews and Korean entertainment news, head to Technosports, and explore our latest K-drama updates while you wait.