KBS epic historical drama 'Sword & Silence' captures viewers with 30 billion won scale

KBS's epic historical drama 'Sword & Silence', which saw an investment of over 30 billion won, captured viewers from its first broadcast with heavy war narratives and relentless power struggles. In Silla, Kim Chun-chu (Kim Kang-woo) and his son Kim Beop-min (Lee Hyun-wook) find themselves entangled in political conspiracies, while in Goguryeo, Yeon Gaesomun marks a powerful start by instigating a bloody rebellion. The first episode established the grand scale and tension characteristic of epic historical dramas, depicting clashes between royal authority and aristocratic factions alongside choices surrounding national survival.

The first episode of the KBS 2TV epic drama 'Sword & Silence', which aired on the 14th, recorded a nationwide household viewership rating of 5.1%. Notably, the viewership peaked at 6.4% during the scene where Kim Chun-chu kneels before Bidam (Lee Ji-hoon) to request military support to protect the nation. The political conflicts of key figures and their dramatic choices drew significant viewer interest from the very beginning.

The premiere juxtaposed the situation in Silla, facing an existential crisis due to fierce attacks from Baekje, with the division in Goguryeo over making peace with the Tang dynasty. In Silla, Kim Beop-min and Kim In-mun (Oh Seung-hoon) witnessed grieving citizens who had lost family members to Baekje's attacks. The gruesome sight of burning bodies and soldiers being decapitated after fleeing the battlefield vividly revealed how war destroys the lives of individual citizens beyond mere national survival. The two men faced the chaotic reality of Silla after witnessing the horrors of war firsthand.

Kim Chun-chu's political decision became the seed for another tragedy. General Baek-ryong (Lee Jae-joon), who was seriously injured by Baekje's attack, visited Kim Chun-chu's home to suggest the possibility of collusion between Silla's Gaya-descended people and the Baekje people. However, judging that such suspicions raised without certain evidence could incite internal division, Kim Chun-chu ultimately made the cold choice to eliminate Baek-ryong himself. It was a moment that revealed the ruthless side of a ruler willing to endure personal emotions and moral burdens to protect the country.

However, Kim Chun-chu's choice escalated into a conflict with his son, Kim Beop-min. As rumors spread that he had killed Baek-ryong, Kim Beop-min fiercely protested his father's suggestion to leave for the Tang dynasty. He confronted his father, asking, "Are you telling us to go to the Tang dynasty to avoid death just because we are your sons?" and adding, "By whose hand was General Baek-ryong's body removed? Is that also for the sake of the country?" The realism of Kim Chun-chu, prioritizing national survival, clashed directly with the sense of justice held by Kim Beop-min, who could not accept his father's choice.

Kim Beop-min eventually asked Kim In-mun to go to the Tang dynasty in his stead. He expressed his intention to head to Daeyaseong Fortress to meet his sister in crisis by arranging a marriage on his behalf, rather than choosing the path to the Tang dynasty. Kim Beop-min's choice to protect his family and his convictions rather than conforming to his father's political judgment raised curiosity about how the conflict between father and son will influence the future direction of Silla politics.

In Goguryeo, the power struggle regarding relations with the Tang dynasty intensified. Go Geon-mu (Jo Seong-ha), who was pursuing peace with the Tang dynasty, attempted to avoid diplomatic conflict by tearing down the pavilions and shrines built to celebrate the victory in the war against the Sui dynasty. It was a realistic judgment to stabilize relations with the Tang dynasty for the sake of the war-torn people. However, to Yeon Gaesomun, who believed Goguryeo must be the master of the world, this was nothing more than a humiliating compromise. Yeon Gaesomun proved his hardline stance by ruthlessly cutting down the Tang soldiers guarding the pavilions.

Upon hearing the news, the King of Goguryeo, Go Geon-mu, summoned Yeon Gaesomun to Pyongyang Fortress. While persuading him that peace with the Tang dynasty was necessary to reduce the suffering of the people, he argued that an opportunity to conquer the Tang dynasty might come if they waited for the right time. However, Yeon Gaesomun refused to back down, stating, "Rather than believing in peace, strike them." The confrontation between the King, who sought national stability through diplomatic compromise, and the powerful figure pursuing military hegemony, eventually led to an irreversible catastrophe. Go Geon-mu ultimately devised a plan to eliminate Yeon Gaesomun.

The crisis in Silla grew uncontrollably. As the body of Baek-ryong, which Kim Chun-chu had ordered his retainers to bury, was discovered, the suspicions surrounding him turned into a public political offensive. Bidam, who harbored resentment toward Kim Chun-chu for ignoring him during a past battle, sought to use this incident to oust him from power. Kim Chun-chu argued, "Raising suspicions of betrayal without evidence will only cause greater chaos and division," but the true bone aristocrats unanimously demanded his decapitation. Kim Chun-chu, who was trying to manage the national crisis, faced the risk of becoming a victim of internal power struggles.

Kim Yu-sin (Park Seong-ung) appeared at the Wolseong battleground during Kim Chun-chu's moment of desperation. With his appearance, the tense atmosphere of the scene changed abruptly, creating a new variable in Kim Chun-chu's fate. A key point of interest for the next episode is how Kim Yu-sin, played by Park Seong-ung, will change the landscape of power and how he will break through Bidam's political offensive.

The situation in Goguryeo reached an even more extreme point. During Yeon Gaesomun's inauguration ceremony, he shouted, "To the people who have protected this land by sacrificing their lives, the current Goguryeo is a disgrace. Goguryeo bows to no one." He then launched a sudden rebellion by beheading Go Hwan-gwon (Jeong Yul-geon), the son of Go Geon-mu. The inspection grounds, stained with blood in an instant, served as the shocking final scene of the first episode. Jang Hyuk demonstrated a commanding presence as the central axis of the work, embodying Yeon Gaesomun's unrestrained spirit and ambition for power through intense acting.

'Sword & Silence' multi-dimensionally arranged the survival of the nation, the confrontation between royal authority and aristocrats, and the clash of diplomatic lines, centered on the two axes of Silla and Goguryeo from its first broadcast. While the conflict between Kim Chun-chu and Kim Beop-min showed the political fissures within Silla, Yeon Gaesomun's coup captured the moment the Goguryeo power structure was shaken to its core. As the grand scale of a production with an investment of over 30 billion won and the intense confrontations of historical figures appeared from the first episode, interest is growing in whether the upcoming developments will lead to a rise in viewership. Expectations are high for what kind of historical narrative and character fates this long-awaited epic historical drama from KBS will unfold.

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