“I Am the King” is a 2012 Korean film, categorized as Historical fiction, Identity swap and Comedy. Based on “The Prince and the Pauper” (1881), written by Mark Twain. It is streaming on Apple TV and Tubi TV.
- Memorable Quote: “He says he’s the crown prince. Crazy fool!”
SUMMARY: A reluctant crown prince and a desperate slave accidentally switch identities. The irony is that the prince wants to get out of the palace, and the slave realizes he can save a woman who is dear to him by being in the palace. They’ll have to switch back eventually. Through humor and hardship, empathy and experience, the crown prince accidentally reshapes his destiny as the future King Sejong.
♦ Who Knew the Third Son Would Be King One Day?
In “I Am the King”, Prince Chungnyeong is an intelligent but reluctant prince who would rather spend his days reading than preparing for royal duty. When his father, King Taejong, selects him as Crown Prince after losing faith in his older sons, Prince Chungnyeong panics. The crown prince got his trusted guards, Hae-Koo and Hwang-Goo, drunk, and they passed out. While they were unconscious, he fled the palace before the investiture ceremony.
Coincidentally, a slave named Deok-Chil was outside the palace that might. He was searching for Soo-Yeon, the woman he loves. The crown prince was quite surprised because the man looked almost exactly like him. That gave him the idea to trade places. Prince Chungnyeong and Deok-Chil exchange clothes. By the time the guards awakened and went looking for the prince, they found the slave lying on the ground. He was passed out because he was drunk, but he was wearing the clothes of the prince. So the guards carried him back to the palace. Once they saw him clearly, they realized they had mistakenly picked up an unknown person. Who is this man? Where is the real prince?
Meanwhile, outside the palace, the real prince is mistaken for a slave and thrust into the hardships of common life, while Deok-Chil finds himself struggling to navigate the intrigues and expectations of the royal court.
Deok-Chil’s blunt honesty disrupts palace politics, and Prince Chungnyeong gains firsthand experience of poverty, injustice, and the challenges faced by ordinary citizens. Through their reversed roles, both men grow in unexpected ways, learning valuable lessons about duty, justice, and compassion. When the truth is finally revealed, Prince Chungnyeong returns to the palace with a new understanding of the people he will one day rule. To understand the kingdom, one must first understand its people.
Main Characters:
- Slave Deok-Chil / Prince Chungnyeong (played by Ju Ji-Hoon*)
- Hae-Koo (played by Lim Won-Hee, “Collectors”, “Wok of Love”)
- Hwang-Goo (played by Kim Soo-Ro, “Gentleman’s Dignity”)
- Soo-Yeon (played by Lee Ha-Nee or Lee Honey, “Aema”, “Phantom”, “The Rebel”, “Fiery Priest”, “Knight Flower”, “One the Woman”, “Alienoid 1 and 2”, “Immortal Classic”, “Shine or Go Crazy”)
*K-dramas starring Ju Ji-Hoon:
- The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call
- Climax
- The Spy Gone North
- Light Shop
- Project Silence
- Along With the Gods 1 and 2
- Love Your Enemy
- Blood Free
- Jirisan
- Hyena
- Kingdom 1 and 2
- Item
- Confession
Where to Watch: Apple TV and Tubi TV
Viewership and Rating:
- IMDb: 5.8 out of 10 stars
- My Drama List: 7.5 out of 10 stars
My personal rating is the same as MDL.
“I Am the King” (2012) is a comedic historical Korean film that retells The Prince and the Pauper through a royal-slave identity swap. It’s not an award-winning film. But if you feel like not taking life seriously and goofing off by watching a funny Saturday afternoon movie … this film is perfect.
If you want to make it a double-funny feature, you might like “The Accidental Gangster”. Released in 2008, it is old but gold. Why is it gold? It stars Lee Jung-Jae long before “Squid Game” fame. It’s a rare treat because he doesn’t do very many comedic roles. Although I guess he decided to take a break from the dark dystopian survival thriller and star in the 2025 Rom-Com, “Nice to Not Meet You”.
Why not make it a triple feature? “Masquerade” (2012) is a Korean film also based on The Prince and the Pauper.
LINKS OF INTEREST:
I Am a King: A Review. | Kaede + Jun
Movie Review – I Am King (2012). | The Cat That Watches TV
kdramalove.com | Ju Ji Hoon ~ Korean Actor Picture Gallery
TRAILER/TEASER:
tvN Movies. “I Am The King.” YouTube, 14 Jan. 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G1Xw_IhN4U.
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