A decade after “Love in the Moonlight,” a 2016 South Korean historical romance set in the royal court of 19th century Korea, became a television hit, its original cast is reuniting in the same costumes that helped define the series.
The drama starred South Korean actors Park Bo gum and Kim Yoo jung in a romance between Crown Prince Lee Young and Hong Ra on, a young woman who enters the palace disguised as a male eunuch. Jinyoung, Chae Soo bin and Kwak Dong yeon played other major characters caught up in the romance and political intrigue surrounding the royal court. All five actors are now returning for a 10th anniversary program produced by KBS, South Korea’s public broadcaster.
The reunion comes as Korean television has gained a much longer life beyond its original domestic broadcasts. The global expansion of Korean entertainment has made it possible for older dramas, their stars and their fan communities to remain relevant years after a series ends. That gives broadcasters another way to use established intellectual property without producing a remake or simply rerunning old episodes.
KBS is taking that approach by building new programming around the original cast and viewers’ memories of the show. The anniversary special will follow the five actors on a two day, one night trip as they revisit their experiences making the drama and return to the characters they played 10 years earlier.
Park revealed the reunion on social media on Sept. 9, posting several photos of the cast together. The images drew particular attention because the actors were dressed again in the traditional Korean clothing associated with their original roles.
Park appears once more as Crown Prince Lee Young, while Kim returns to the look of Hong Ra on. Jinyoung, Chae and Kwak similarly recreate the appearances of Kim Yoon sung, Jo Ha yeon and Kim Byung yeon. The actors wore the same costumes used during the original production, creating a direct visual connection between the 2016 drama and the new reunion.
Park accompanied the photos with a message wishing that everyone would “always shine brightly like the moonlight,” echoing the title of the series. Fans responded enthusiastically to seeing the five actors together again, with much of the attention focused on how closely they resembled their appearances from a decade earlier.
The production team said the program is intended to be more than a conventional retrospective. By bringing the actors together for a trip rather than simply looking back at old footage, KBS is attempting to recreate some of the relationships and memories that surrounded the original production.
The project also shows how a Korean television hit can remain useful long after its first run. As Korean dramas continue to reach audiences outside their home market, broadcasters have more reason to preserve the value of older titles and the fan loyalty built around them, turning a decade old series into material for new entertainment rather than leaving it in the archive.
