KDRAMALOVE KOREAN DRAMA REVIEWS
Tempest
북극성 (Polar Star, Literal Translation)
Disney+ / Hulu (2025) 9 Episodes
Political Thriller / Romance
Grade: A+, Masterpiece
Korean Drama Review by Jill, USA
(No End Spoilers)
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Definitely one of the most superlative Korean dramas for 2025, Tempest stars consummate actress Gianna Jun (My Love From Another Star, Jirisan, The Legend Of The Blue Sea, masterpiece films Daisy, Il Mare, My Sassy Girl, The Thieves, Assassination, White Valentine), whom I have loved in everything I've seen her in, and the flawless, mesmerizing, sexy actor Gang Dong Won, from the films Golden Slumber, Temptations Of Wolves, M, Woochi, My Brilliant Life, Maundy Thursday, Dark Nuns. His last Korean drama was in 2004, so his career has mostly concentrated on film work over two decades. He decided to take on this Korean drama because of his fondness for leading lady Gianna Jun. They admitted in interviews that they are big fans of each others' work. The audience could especially see that fondness displayed for each other in their love confession scene later in the drama. What a kiss scene! I think my jaw dropped down ten feet at how realistically passionate it was. Woof! All to the background of a Frank Sinatra song playing on the radio! Melt-worthy!
Tempest was so addictive that I watched all nine episodes in one day! Couldn't tear myself away! Disney+ / Hulu are really putting out intriguing Korean dramas the last few years, often surpassing the other streaming sites that offer Korean dramas.
Also on board for this gem are perfect supporting actors like Park Hae Joon (When Life Gives You Tangerines), Lee Mi Sook (Queen Of Tears, film ...ing), very prolific actor Oh Jung Se (It's Okay Not To Be Okay, When The Camellia Blooms, When The Stars Gossip), and veterans Kim Hae Sook (from the classic Four Seasons' dramas), and darling veteran actor Choi Jung Woo (Master's Sun, 49 Days, Midas, Shining Inheritance, who sadly passed away recently, and whom I always delighted in watching in every drama he appeared in; in fact, Ahjussi Jung Woo delivered my top favorite line in all Korean drama history in the magnificent Doctor Stranger, here below! I will never forget how I cheered and clapped when he said it!). :)
Rest In Peace Lovely Actor Choi Jung Woo (1957 - 2025)
I Will Miss You So Much!
The geopolitical stakes are high in this story of Tempest, which seamlessly blends espionage themes and escapist romance in a superb thriller mix that is quite rare in K-drama history. Tempest spares no expense, financed by Disney, with noticeably higher production values than most contemporary K-dramas, including fantastic CGI as well as the presence of English-speaking Hollywood actors like John Cho and Christopher Gorham; even our two leads in the drama spoke English in quite a few scenes -- that was great to hear!
This high quality is also evident in the show's tightly choreographed and impressively executed action scenes as the directors, Kim Hee Won and Heo Myung Haeng put their skills to good use. Jung Seo Kyoung was the screenplay writer and she wrote one of my top favorite Korean films, I'm A Cyborg But That's Okay with Su Jeong Im and Rain, and the classic 2018 drama Mother with Lee Bo Young. With all this talent on board for Tempest it was guaranteed to be a big hit!
The Story:
At the heart of this drama are two characters who are difficult to look away from in any scene they are in, either solo or together: Diplomat to America Seo Munju (Gianna Jun) and dedicated bodyguard / former North Korean mercenary Paik San Ho (Gang Dong Won). The two are drawn together, at first professionally, after a vicious attack against Munju's politician husband, Jang Junik (Park Hae Joon). Junik had been running for President for the New Republican Party of South Korea, and Munju had returned from her diplomatic job in America to support him in his campaign. It's obvious their long separation had put a lot of pressure on their marriage. Junik had seemed to want to make it up to her, for instance, gifting her with an emerald cross necklace because they had both attended a Roman Catholic church together (I was wondering why it wasn't a crucifix necklace).
However, this brutal attack eventually took place in the very Catholic church they attended together, and it was an assassination attempt that succeeded, by a shooter (Lee Seung Hee) dressed in military garb, to the horror of the entire congregation, including their priest (Park In Hwan), and including the candidate's wife Munju, who rushed to him after he was shot and put her arms up to protect him as the shooter approached her too! She had remembered seeing this shooter at an anti-reunification demonstration, and so she tries to reason with him on the subject as he points his gun at her next.
Then suddenly bodyguard Paik San Ho throws himself onto the body of the shooter, disabling him, and the shooter pushes a suicide pill into his mouth and dies in agony on the floor of the church. San Ho remains on top of the dying man, staring at Munju, making sure she is still unharmed. It is obvious his first and foremost priority is protecting her life at all costs.
The nation grieves at the death of popular Presidential candidate Jang Junik. The current President, an older female named Chae Kyung Sin (Kim Hae Sook), who is planning to retire from the job, tries to convince the beautiful widow of Junik to take her murdered husband's place and run for President for their New Republican Party, which is in favor of a peaceful reunification process with North Korea. Munju is not convinced ... at first. She primarily wants to discover who was behind the assassination of her husband.
Whoever is behind the plot obviously wants to destabilize a delicate political situation in South Korea among citizens who are for reunification with North Korea, and those who are not. Munju does listen to those in government who are convinced she requires extra special security protection, whether she decides to run for President or not, and San Ho is hired to fulfill that duty on a full time basis.
As Munju and San Ho begin to work together they quickly realize they are dealing with a sinister, mysterious conspiracy, with far-reaching international consequences, even affecting the United States of America, and that some of this conspiracy might actually be originating with the murdered Junik's extended family, including his obsessive, anti-American mother Lim Ok Seon (Lee Mi Sook), his petty, spiteful brother Jang Jun Sang (Oh Jung Se), and even his frail but stubborn grandmother (Jung Young Sook). For some reason none of them received any of Junik's wealth and real estate holdings in his last will: everything had been officially willed to his wife Munju and she is now the wealthiest one among them all.
Munju also discovers to her shock that her husband had been living a secret double life, with a mistress on the side named Kang Han Na (Won Ji An) who had given him a little son named Eun Seong (Yu Ji Wan). This causes Munju even greater pain because she had been unable to give her husband any children, and had even suffered a late term miscarriage at one point. She also learns that it was the mistress who had designed and sold the emerald cross necklaces, one of which Junik had gifted Munju! What a two-faced "husband" he had been after all!
Soon Munju decides to run for President. Her aim at winning the Presidency seems to put Junik's surviving family members even more over the edge: their tentacles into international intrigues run deep. Through all this emotional and political turmoil it is San Ho her bodyguard who brings Munju the most comfort and support, and eventually they fall in love.
As the international turmoil increases, even to the point of Munju's North Korean enemies threatening South Korea with a nuclear submarine off shore, it becomes obvious that Sun Ho is also at risk of death for protecting Munju so well, over and over again. She does manage to get additional help from two close friends and assistants, Yeo Mi Ji (Lee Sang Hee), and Park Chang Hee (Joo Jong Hyuk), but it's Sun Ho who is most aware of her deceased husband's family secrets and the plots against her. He doesn't even seem to mind that he is risking death too; his main concern is always to keep Munju safe from all harm. True love seems to work that way, doesn't it?
Tempest provides us with an interesting, if somewhat controversial, perspective on international politics, through a distinctly South Korean lens. Gripping and addictive, with engaging lead and supporting actors acting up a storm throughout its globe-trotting story intrigues, Tempest is an action-packed romance done right. It is not to be missed! Enjoy!
