The Moon That Embraces the Sun

Title: 해를 품은 달 / The Moon That Embraces the Sun
Chinese Title: 月亮怀抱太阳
Also known as: The Sun and The Moon / The Moon Embracing the Sun
Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Period
Episodes: 20 + 2 Special
Broadcast network: MBC
Broadcast period: 2012-Jan-04 to 2012-Mar-15
Air time: Wednesday & Thursday 21:55

Synopsis

“The Moon Embracing The Sun” tells a love story between King Lee Hwon and a female shaman named Wol. Wol was born from a noble family and became the crown princess, but she was entrapped and faced execution. Finally, she lived as a shaman.

Cast

Main Cast

Kim Soo Hyun as Lee Hwon
- Yeo Jin Goo as Lee Hwon (young)
Han Ga In as Wol / Heo Yeon Woo
- Kim Yoo Jung as Wol / Heo Yeon Woo (young)
Jung Il Woo as Prince Yang Myung
- Lee Min Ho (1993) as Prince Yang Myung (young)
Kim Min Seo as Yoon Bo Kyung
- Kim So Hyun as Yoon Bo Kyung (young)

The Palace

Kim Young Ae as Queen Jeonghui (Lee Hwon’s grandmother)
Ahn Nae Sang as as King Sung Jo (Lee Hwon’s father)
Kim Sun Kyung as Queen So Hye (Lee Hwon’s mother)
Nam Bo Ra as Princess Min Hwa (Lee Hwon’s sister)
- Jin Ji Hee as Princess Min Hwa (young)
Jung Eun Pyo as Hyung Sun
Song Jae Rim as Kim Chae Woon
- Lee Won Gun (이원근) as Kim Chae Woon (young)
Yoon Hee Suk as Hong Kyu Tae as Hong Gyu Tae
Kim Ye Ryung as Lady Park (Yang Myung’s mother)
Seo Hyun Chul as Shim San
Lee Seung Hyung as Han Jae Gil
Chu Gwi Jung as Court Lady Jo
Kim Min Kyung as Court Lady Min

The Sungsuchung

Jun Mi Sun as Female shaman Jang Nok Young
Kim Ik Tae as Hye Gak
Bae Noo Ri as Jan Shil
- Jo Min Ah (조민아) as Jan Shil (young)
Jang Young Nam as Ali (cameo, ep 1)

Heo Family

Sun Woo Jae Duk as Heo Young Jae (Yeon Woo and Yeom’s father)
Yang Mi Kyung as Shin Jung Kyung (Yeon Woo and Yeom’s mother)
Song Jae Hee as Heo Yeom
- Si Wan as Heo Yeom (young)
- Kim Jin Woo as Yeom (child)
Yoon Seung Ah as Seol
- Suh Ji Hee as Seol (young)

Yoon Family

Kim Eung Soo as Yoon Dae Hyung (Bo Kyung’s father)
Jang Hee Soo (장희수) as Mrs. Kim (Bo Kyung’s mother)
Kim Seung Wook as Yoon Soo Chan

Production Credits

Director: Kim Do Hoon
Screenwriter: Jin Soo Wan

Awards

2012 48th Baeksang Arts Awards: Top Excellence Actor: Kim Soo Hyun (The Moon That Embraces the Sun)
2012 48th Baeksang Arts Awards: Best Drama (The Moon That Embraces the Sun)

Notes

- Based on the novel 해를 품은 달 (The Moon That Embraces the Sun) by Jung Eun Gwol (first published December 29, 2005), who is also the author of the novel that Sungkyunkwan Scandal was based on.

- Actor Joo Won was originally cast as Prince Yang Myung, but dropped out of the show due to Ojakgyo Brothers being extended. Actor Jung Il Woo has been replaced for this role.

- Actor Kim Jeong Hoon scheduled to play Heo Yeom but dropped out the series prior to filming due to his album being released early 2012 in Japan. Song Jae Hee has been replaced for this role.

- The Ratings for this drama dropped significantly on 29/Feb/2012 due to the Live Broadcasting of FIFA World Cup Qualification of Asia Region on the same time.

- On 6/March/2012, MBC confirms that Episode 19 & 20 will not air this week and will air Special Episodes in its place due to the MBC labor strike. (Source)

- Kim Soo Hyun sings the song “You Are The One” for this drama series’ OST which will be released 13/March/2012 in Korea.

“The Moon That Embraces the Sun,” starring Kim Soo Hyun, Han Ga In, and Jung Il Woo, made its grand exit last night, saddening all those who were on the moon/sun craze the last three months. During its run, “The Moon that Embraces the Sun” constantly rewrote its personal high in viewership ratings. Yesterday’s episode was not an exception. Ratings shot to 42.4% (AGB Nielsen) nationwide, making it the highest rated episode in “The Moon that Embraces the Sun.” The series also set record highs within the real-time ratings. The highest minute-by-minute ratings reached 48.1% when Hwon (Kim Soo Hyun) was secretly learning the gayageum to surprise Yeon Woo (Han Ga In) on her birthday.