King the Land (2023) Review: Chemistry Over Story

Is King the Land worth watching?

It depends. King the Land is a frothy, expensive-looking romantic comedy that lives or dies on the chemistry between Lee Jun-ho and Im Yoon-ah, and that chemistry is genuinely strong. The two leads make an extremely familiar setup enjoyable, and the series is easy, pleasant comfort viewing. The reservation is everything around them: the plotting is thin, the corporate rivalry is perfunctory, and the story leans on clichés that K-drama fans will have seen many times before.

What is King the Land about?

Gu Won (Lee Jun-ho) is the reluctant heir to the King Group, a hotel empire, and he is sent into head office to prove himself against a half-sister who has spent years quietly consolidating her own power. Cheon Sa-rang (Im Yoon-ah) is one of the company’s most dedicated employees, promoted to the exclusive King the Land lounge thanks in large part to a bright smile she has learned to turn on for every guest. Gu Won cannot stand insincere smiles. Naturally, the two end up working side by side.

Go Won-hee and Kim Ga-eun play Sa-rang’s closest friends, and Ahn Se-ha appears as a loyal ally of Gu Won.

King the Land is a South Korean series in Korean, written by Choi Rom, and it streams on Netflix. This review covers the complete show: one season of 16 episodes, released in 2023, and the story has ended.

Two leads doing the heavy lifting

The reason King the Land became one of Korea’s biggest streaming hits of 2023 is simple: Lee Jun-ho and Im Yoon-ah are delightful together. Lee brings a boyish petulance to Gu Won that softens as the romance develops, and Im is charming as a woman whose professional cheer hides both ambition and exhaustion. Their banter is quick and their romantic scenes have real warmth.

The show clearly knows this, and it spends generously on the pairing, with plenty of lingering looks, luxury backdrops and holiday-brochure location shoots. For viewers who come for exactly that, it delivers.

A premise with a sharper idea inside

There is an interesting thread buried in the story. Sa-rang’s smile is her job, a piece of emotional labour that hotel staff are expected to perform whatever they feel, and the series occasionally touches on how exhausting and unequal that can be. Her friendships with two other women in service jobs give the show a welcome glimpse of working life beyond the executive floors.

Unfortunately, that idea is rarely developed. The series prefers to return to the rich-man, working-woman fairy tale rather than question it, and the service-industry commentary ends up as seasoning rather than substance.

Where the plotting runs thin

Outside the romance, King the Land is weak. The boardroom rivalry lacks tension, secondary characters are broadly drawn, and the second half has little conflict left to generate beyond predictable obstacles. Some episodes feel like extended montages. A storyline involving a visiting Middle Eastern royal also drew criticism from viewers for leaning on stereotypes, and it has not aged well.

Who should watch King the Land?

It suits fans of the two leads, lovers of classic chaebol romcoms and anyone who wants undemanding, good-looking comfort viewing. The 16 episodes go down easily but offer few surprises. Content is mild: some romance, workplace bullying and family conflict, with nothing graphic.

If you enjoy the glossy romance, these are stronger picks from the romance shelf:

• Queen of Tears for a chaebol love story with far more emotional depth and bigger stakes.
• Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha for comfort-food romance with a better-drawn community around its couple.
• Crash Landing on You for an heiress romance with a genuinely inventive premise.

The verdict

King the Land is a pretty, pleasant romantic comedy elevated by two charismatic leads. It has little to offer beyond that chemistry, with thin plotting and recycled tropes, but for viewers who want exactly that kind of comfort, it is a perfectly enjoyable way to spend a few weekends.

Rating: 3/5