Won Lee, otherwise known as King JinWon, has recently taken up his title as the 13th Emperor of GaGook, though it is not one that he takes very seriously. For the past 10 years his mother YonRi Yoon has been ruling the country and she often still acts in his stead. His ministers lack confidence is his rule because of his irresponsible behavior and lowly lineage, yet they still endure his rule.
He has two obsessions which dominate his life—his love for the courtesan Nabi, and his desire to eliminate the greatest threat to his throne (or maybe simply his ego), the rebel leader Crimson Moon.
He often spends his time either gambling in the capital city of HyangJu (incognito) or drinking away his sorrows.
Appearance[]
Won Lee is a young man most notable for his very long red hair tied up into a pony tail, golden eyes, and a rather bored, yet intimidating expression. His hanbok and robes (po) reflect his status as wealthy and often change for one reason or another. Those who meet him outside the palace do not seem to be aware that he is actually the king; a bodyguard is always shadowing him, however.
When he is dressed up as the king, his hair is tied up into a top knot along with the crown. His clothing is also much more lavish. However, this is a style he does not seem to prefer—he usually walks around in his much more lax, if arguably still lavish, attire when he is not sitting on the thrown.
He is never seen without his pipe.
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Personality[]
Won Lee is notably moody, distant, self-centered and indifferent to those around him. He shows no acknowledgement to the requests of others, most notably Danah Yu. Several times she has called out to him for assistance and each time Won Lee completely brushes her off. It is merely by unintentional coincidence that he ends up helping her. He gives little thought to the idea of being assassinated, though he does have guards constantly on watch waiting to kill anyone who bothers to try. This does not mean he is defenseless, however.
He can be extremely dangerous and intimidating when his temper is pressed. When first introduced, he greatly wounds a young nobleman with supposedly just his pipe. He also has a cruel streak, such as when he ordered an entire village to be burned after a boy said that the Crimson Moon would be a better emperor.[1]
He spends a great deal of time in the story drinking away his anger and bitterness. Growing up, he was affected by his father's indifference, his mother's ambitions, and the fact that he was never allowed to see his brother, the crown prince. He also claims that he never wanted to be king.[2]
When he meets Rei Jang for the first time as a young teen, he finds that they are able to relate to each other, both lacking any respect from their respective royal families. When he eventually forms a (mostly one-sided) friendship with the artist Hong, he seems to treasure that relationship dearly.
Plot[]
History[]
Won Lee's mother, YonRi Yoon, was a royal consort of King JinHyul, and was always jealous of Queen AnYoung. After the death of the king, her underlings assassinated the queen and she placed her own 10-year-old son as the new king, with her as his regent until he turned 20.[3]
Season 1[]
While gambling in the city during the moon festival, Won Lee sits passively as a young woman, Danah Yu, argues with and then is carried off by a nobleman. When she tries to grab his arm, he simply shakes her off and continues to ignore her. A fan thrown by Nabi strikes the nobleman, causing him and Danah to fall on top of Won Lee. He finds the nobleman's resulting exchange with Nabi hilarious, to the point that he angers the nobleman enough to fight him. Won Lee knocks him down with a swing of his pipe, then fights off his men, leaving all of them bloody, especially the nobleman. Won Lee complains about the blood they left on his clothing, then looks around as if searching for someone.[4]
Season 2[]
Season 3[]
Won Lee dreams of Nabi, telling her that he will never let her go. She vanishes, and he awakens. The royal servants enter his quarters and inform him that the bridal candidates have arrived. One servant hands him a register with the names of rebels, including those who are now dead. He is relieved that Nabi's name is not listed, and finds it hard to believe that the army remained undetected for 10 years. He continues to hope that Nabi is alive and wonders where she could be. It is now the 11th year of King JinWon's reign, and the kingdom is now more stable, royal clinics have slowed down the spread of the plague, and the King's consort has given birth to a prince. At the Queen Mother's first meeting with the two bridal candidates, the royal servants interrupt with a royal decree from the King announcing a third candidate: Princess HyunBin.[5]