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Moon Embracing the Sun (해를 품은 달): Plot, Characters and Cast
Moon Embracing the Sun (해를 품은 달, Hae-reul Pumeun Dal) is a historical romance and fantasy drama that MBC aired in 2012. It has 20 episodes, written by Jin Soo-wan and directed by Kim Do-hoon and Lee Seong-jun. It's adapted from a novel by Jung Eun-gwol, and its finale reached a 42.2% rating. Here you'll find the plot, the characters, the cast and a tongue-in-cheek Saju reading for the king and his moon.
- Cast
- Han Ga-in, Kim Soo-hyun, Jung Il-woo, Kim Min-seo
- MBC
- 2012 · 20 episodes
Official video
Official video by MBCdrama on YouTube. It only loads if you press play.
Plot (no spoilers)
In the heart of the Joseon dynasty, young Crown Prince Lee Hwon falls in love with Heo Yeon-woo, the brilliant daughter of a scholar. It's a teenage love, but at court nothing is merely personal: Yeon-woo is chosen as his future wife, and that clashes with the interests of the factions that want to install their own candidate.
The intrigue reaches its darkest point. Yeon-woo falls victim to a curse, appears to die and is secretly rescued, but with no memory of who she was. In her place, an ambitious young woman from a noble family, Yoon Bo-kyung, ends up becoming queen.
Years go by. Lee Hwon is now king, but he still carries his grief for the girl he was supposed to marry. Yeon-woo, meanwhile, lives as a shaman under the name Wol, knowing nothing of her past. When she is brought to the palace to serve the king, he is stunned by how much she resembles his lost love. Also between them is Prince Yangmyung, the king's half-brother, a free spirit who is in love with Yeon-woo. Secrets, memory and destiny cross paths in a story about a love that refuses to disappear, even when everyone takes it for buried.
Characters and their Saju
Heo Yeon-woo / Wol 허연우 / 월
Han Ga-in · Yin Water · The Rain
Yeon-woo is a bright, radiant young noblewoman chosen as crown princess. After a conspiracy, she lives years later as the shaman Wol, with no memory of her former life. She is a character split in two, with an identity she herself doesn't know and that the palace keeps secret.
If Yeon-woo had a Saju card, it would be Yin Water · The Rain: soft, intuitive and connected to the unseen, like a shaman under the moon. Rain may forget the cloud it fell from, but it always returns to the sea it came from.
Lee Hwon 이훤
Kim Soo-hyun · Yang Fire · The Sun
Lee Hwon is the young king of Joseon. He has loved Yeon-woo since he was a teenager, and her supposed death left its mark on him. At the start of his reign he carries his grief like an open wound, until the appearance of a shaman who looks so much like her shakes him to the core.
If Lee Hwon had a Saju card, it would be Yang Fire · The Sun, and it couldn't be otherwise for a king in a story called Moon Embracing the Sun. He lights up the whole palace, but his warmth cools without his moon.
Prince Yangmyung 양명
Jung Il-woo · Yang Water · The Ocean
Yangmyung is the king's half-brother, a free-spirited prince who prefers the outside world to court protocol. He also loves Yeon-woo, which makes his relationship with Lee Hwon complicated. He is rebellious, hard to pin down and carries a melancholy that peeks out between smiles.
If Yangmyung had a Saju card, it would be Yang Water · The Ocean: free, restless and impossible to lock inside a palace. Waves come and go as they please, and his heart, though no one sees it, always pulls toward the same shore.
Yoon Bo-kyung 윤보경
Kim Min-seo · Yang Metal · The Sword
Bo-kyung is the ambitious daughter of a noble family. She takes the place that was meant for Yeon-woo and becomes queen. Her ambition takes her far, but the throne she wins comes with a shadow: that of the girl who was meant to sit on it.
If Bo-kyung had a Saju card, it would be Yang Metal · The Sword: determined, sharp and ready to cut her way through. Metal like this clears paths, but it also learns that what you win with an edge is very costly to keep.
And what would your Saju be? Find out free with your birth date.
Why so many people fell for it
Moon Embracing the Sun has everything that makes a romantic historical drama unforgettable: a palace, conspiracies, a childhood love and an identity mystery. Its finale reached a 42.2% rating, and Kim Soo-hyun won Best Actor at the 48th Baeksang Arts Awards for the role. In Peru, Willax Televisión premiered it in May 2020 under the title "La luna abraza al sol". The story also made the leap to musical theater.
Facts
- Written by Jin Soo-wan; directed by Kim Do-hoon and Lee Seong-jun, in 20 episodes.
- Adapted from a novel by Jung Eun-gwol; it was later made into a musical.
- Kim Soo-hyun won Best Actor at the 48th Baeksang Arts Awards for this role.
Ending (spoilers)
Show the ending
Spoiler: the conspiracy is exposed and Yeon-woo gets her identity back. She finally takes her rightful place as queen, at Lee Hwon's side. The moon and the sun, just as the title promises, end up together after years apart.
If you liked it, watch next
- Jewel in the Palace 2003 · MBC
- Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (Goblin) 2016 · tvN
- Hotel del Luna 2019 · tvN
Frequently asked questions
What is Moon Embracing the Sun about?
In the Joseon dynasty, the crown prince's bride-to-be falls under a curse and loses her memory. Years later she lives as a shaman and is brought to the palace, where the king notices how much she resembles his lost love.
How many episodes does Moon Embracing the Sun have?
It has 20 episodes. MBC aired it in 2012, and its final episode reached a 42.2% rating in South Korea.
Who stars in Moon Embracing the Sun?
Kim Soo-hyun plays King Lee Hwon and Han Ga-in plays Heo Yeon-woo, also known as Wol. Jung Il-woo is Prince Yangmyung and Kim Min-seo is Yoon Bo-kyung.