Korean actors take on fictional fantasy monarchy in 'The Remarried Empress'

The Remarried Empress brings a Korean romantic fantasy web novel to live action in an imaginary empire, testing whether the genre can work on screen without a familiar historical setting. Released Tuesday on Disney+, the series uses palace locations in Germany and the Czech Republic while retaining the original fantasy world. Its unfamiliar names and costumes may challenge local viewers, but the first four episodes deliver fast-paced storytelling and intense emotions. The series’ reception could influence future romance-fantasy adaptations.

The series is based on a hit web novel that was later adapted into a webtoon.

KBS adapted The First Night With the Duke by moving its story to the Joseon era and giving its characters Korean names.

Studio N CEO Kwon Mi-kyung said relocating The Remarried Empress to a specific period in Korean history would have diminished the original’s appeal.

Director Jo Su-won said the production team filmed palace scenes at castles in Germany and gardens in the Czech Republic.

Another web novel by Alphatart, Men of the Harem, is being filmed as a Netflix series.

Published Nov 4, 2026 5:01 pm KST

A scene from "The Remarried Empress" / Courtesy of The Walt Disney Company Korea

“I accept the divorce. And I request approval to remarry.”

Korean actors portray a palace romance set in an imaginary empire in an unspecified time and place, where love and betrayal intertwine with power and desire in the Disney+ original series “The Remarried Empress.” Released Tuesday, the series is based on a hit web novel turned webtoon. The series opens the door to live-action adaptations of Korean romantic fantasy works. Can the bold experiment push genre boundaries and expand storytelling horizons?

In Korea, the romantic fantasy genre typically combines fantasy elements with an imaginary aristocratic society reminiscent of medieval Europe. This has made live-action adaptations particularly challenging. When KBS adapted the web novel “The First Night With the Duke” into a drama, it relocated the story to the Joseon era and gave its characters Korean names to make the setting more familiar to viewers.

“The Remarried Empress,” however, takes a different approach, focusing on recreating the original fantasy world on screen. Moving the story to a specific period in Korean history would have diminished the appeal of the original, according to Kwon Mi-kyung, CEO of Studio N, which produced the series.

Judging from the first four episodes, concerns about the look and feel of the series can be put aside for now. The palace scenes, filmed at castles in Germany and gardens in the Czech Republic, are breathtaking. Director Jo Su-won expressed his satisfaction at a press conference, saying, “We went on so many location scouts, and when we discovered Schleissheim Palace, I thought, ‘The characters could really have a lot of fun here.’”

Until viewers become fully immersed in the story, the characters addressing one another by unfamiliar European-style names may pose a barrier to local audiences. Glittering costumes that seem out of place have also been cited as minor flaws. Nevertheless, the series delivers the fast-paced storytelling and intense emotional currents characteristic of K-dramas, living up to what writer Yeo Ji-na describes as “an intense tale of romantic entanglements wrapped in the most glamorous exterior.”

The cast's efforts to bridge the gap between viewers and the unfamiliar fictional world through their performances have been well-received. Shin Min-a, who anchors the drama, said, “I focused on finding the right balance between the gravitas of the empress and as a person who chooses a new love. I thought that was essential to earning viewers' support and empathy.”

The success of “The Remarried Empress” is expected to serve as a litmus test for the future of genre adaptations. Another web novel by the author Alphatart, “Men of the Harem,” is also being filmed as a Netflix series. If “The Remarried Empress” succeeds, it could give further momentum to the production of romance fantasy dramas.

The actors asked viewers to approach the series with an open mind.

“Just enjoy the work for what it is. Even if it feels a little unfamiliar at first, I'm sure you'll find it entertaining,” Lee Jong-suk said.

“We were able to immerse ourselves in this world quite easily while filming. We hope you'll step into it with us and enjoy the actors' charms to the fullest,” Shin Min-a said.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

《再婚皇后》将一部韩国浪漫奇幻网络小说改编成真人剧集，故事背景设定在一个虚构的帝国，挑战着这一题材在缺乏熟悉历史背景的荧幕上是否也能取得成功。该剧于周二在Disney+上线，取景地选在德国和捷克共和国的宫殿，同时保留了原著的奇幻世界观。剧中陌生的名字和服饰可能会让当地观众感到不适应，但前四集节奏紧凑，情感饱满。该剧的口碑或将影响未来浪漫奇幻题材的改编作品。

该剧改编自一部热门网络小说，该小说后来被改编成网络漫画。

KBS 将《与公爵的初夜》的故事背景搬到了朝鲜时代，并给剧中人物取了韩国名字。

Studio N 的 CEO 权美京表示，将《再婚皇后》的故事背景设定在韩国历史上的某个特定时期会降低原作的吸引力。

导演赵秀元表示，制作团队在德国的城堡和捷克共和国的花园拍摄了宫廷场景。

Alphatart 的另一部网络小说《后宫男儿》将被 Netflix 改编成电视剧。

发布于2026年11月4日下午5:01（韩国标准时间）

《再婚皇后》剧照 / 图片由华特迪士尼韩国公司提供

“我接受离婚。我请求批准我再婚。”

在Disney+原创剧集《再婚皇后》中，韩国演员演绎了一段发生在虚构帝国、时空未定的宫廷爱情故事，其中爱情与背叛、权力与欲望交织在一起。该剧改编自热门网络小说及同名网络漫画，于周二上线。这部剧开启了韩国浪漫奇幻作品真人改编的先河。这一大胆的尝试能否突破类型界限，拓展故事的边界？

在韩国，浪漫奇幻题材通常将奇幻元素与一个类似中世纪欧洲的虚构贵族社会相结合。这使得真人改编变得尤为困难。KBS电视台将网络小说《与公爵的初夜》改编成电视剧时，将故事背景设定在朝鲜时代，并为剧中人物取了韩文名字，以使观众更容易接受故事背景。

然而，《再婚皇后》却另辟蹊径，专注于在荧幕上重现原作的奇幻世界。制作该剧的Studio N首席执行官权美京表示，将故事背景设定在韩国历史上的某个特定时期会削弱原作的吸引力。

从前四集来看，目前可以暂时放下对这部剧的画面和氛围的担忧。剧中在德国城堡和捷克花园拍摄的宫廷场景令人叹为观止。导演赵秀元在新闻发布会上表达了他的满意之情，他说：“我们去了很多地方勘景，当我们发现施莱斯海姆宫时，我就想，‘剧中人物在这里一定会玩得很开心。’”

在观众完全沉浸于剧情之前，剧中人物使用陌生的欧式名字可能会给当地观众带来一些理解障碍。一些略显突兀的华丽服饰也被认为是瑕疵。尽管如此，该剧依然展现了韩剧快节奏的叙事和强烈的情感张力，正如编剧吕智娜所描述的那样，“这是一部包裹在华丽外表下的扣人心弦的浪漫爱情故事”。

演员们通过精湛的演技拉近了观众与这个陌生虚构世界之间的距离，他们的努力得到了观众的一致好评。该剧主演申敏儿表示：“我着重于找到皇后庄严的气质和选择新恋情的普通人之间的平衡点。我认为这对于赢得观众的支持和共鸣至关重要。”

《再婚皇后》的成功有望成为未来奇幻爱情剧改编作品的风向标。该作者Alphatart的另一部网络小说《后宫男儿》也已被改编成Netflix剧集。如果《再婚皇后》获得成功，可能会进一步推动奇幻爱情剧的制作。

演员们希望观众们以开放的心态观看这部剧集。

“尽情享受工作本身吧。即使一开始感觉有点不熟悉，我相信你也会觉得很有趣的。”李钟硕说道。

申敏儿表示：“我们在拍摄过程中很容易就沉浸在这个世界里。希望大家也能和我们一起进入这个世界，尽情享受演员们的魅力。”

本文来自《韩国日报》（《韩国时报》的姊妹报），由人工智能生成系统翻译，并由《韩国时报》编辑。