# Kingdom: Ashin of the North
**Kingdom: Ashin of the North** (Korean: 킹덤: 아신전; original title [Kingdom](https://www.edgepedia.org/kingdom-south-korean-tv-series): Ashin-jeon) is a 92-minute South Korean special episode, or prequel, to the Netflix zombie period series *Kingdom*, released on July 23, 2021. It tells the story of Ashin, the mysterious figure who appears in the season two finale of *Kingdom*, and traces the origins of the resurrection plant and the plague that revived the dead king and devastated the Joseon kingdom.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/kingdom_2019/s02.1) • [2](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20210730004100315)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | July 23, 2021, on Netflix; TV-MA rating; Korean language[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/kingdom_2019/s02.1) |
| Runtime | 92 minutes[2](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20210730004100315) |
| Director / writer | Kim Seong-hun (director); Kim Eun-hee (screenwriter)[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/kingdom_2019/s02.1) |
| Lead cast | Jun Ji-hyun as Ashin; Park Byung-eun as Min Chi-rok; Kim Si-a as young Ashin; Kim Roi-ha as Tahab; Koo Kyo-hwan as Aidagan[3](https://movieto.watch/movie/845222-kingdom-ashin-of-the-north/) |
| Setting | The northern frontier between Joseon and Jurchen territory, during the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)[2](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20210730004100315) |
| Reception | 100% Tomatometer from 5 critics and 83% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes; 6.9/10 on IMDb from 16,000 votes[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/kingdom_2019/s02.1) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13412252/ratings/) |
| Production | Netflix Original co-produced with Baram Pictures; producers also include BA Entertainment and Studio Dragon[5](https://studiodragon.irplus.co.kr/fileupload/analyst_e/202111/20211105_sd1.pdf) • [6](https://www.filmaffinity.com/en/film300826.html) |
## Spoilers
### Story and place in the series
The episode follows Ashin, described by the streaming synopsis as a woman whose tragedy, betrayal, and a mysterious discovery fuel her vengeance for the loss of her tribe and family.[7](https://www.justwatch.com/ph/movie/kingdom-ashin-of-the-north) Ashin is the heiress to a northern Jurchen town who briefly appeared in the season two finale of *Kingdom*.[6](https://www.filmaffinity.com/en/film300826.html) Her father Ta Hab leads a small settlement of the Seongjeoyain people, Joseon sympathizers caught between the kingdom and the semi-nomadic Jurchen tribes beyond its borders; the settlement becomes a casualty of war and Ashin is its only known survivor.[8](https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/arts-and-entertainment/kingdom-ashin-of-the-north-review-a1916-20210728-lfrm)
The special explains the origins of the purple resurrection plant, the zombie plague it causes, and the motivations of the villain Ashin becomes.[9](https://www.nme.com/reviews/tv-reviews/kingdom-ashin-of-the-north-review-netflix-zombie-prequel-jun-ji-hyun-2999862) Screenwriter Kim Eun-hee, the writer of the *Kingdom* series, said she chose Ashin, a person with a tragic personal story and peripheral social background, as the central figure because she is closest to the secret of the resurrection plant, and described the episode as a stepping stone to season three.[2](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20210730004100315) Director Kim Seong-hun, who also directed the series' first two seasons, said the episode was made not merely as a bridge between seasons two and three but as a complete work in its own right, and noted a ten-year gap between the events of the special and the main series.[10](https://www.kukinews.com/article/view/kuk202107300267) • [11](https://v.daum.net/v/kSFKBOs5fl)
## Production
Kim Seong-hun wanted the northern frontier to feel real, so the production scouted locations far south of the setting, filming on [Jeju Island](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeju-island) and at Saemangeum, and worked from costume to art direction to combine historical research with imagination.[10](https://www.kukinews.com/article/view/kuk202107300267) The child Ashin was played by Kim Si-a, selected through four rounds of auditions; the director praised her restrained expression of grief and said [Jun Ji-hyun](https://www.edgepedia.org/jun-ji-hyun) conveyed Ashin's emotions through near-wordless acting, since the adult Ashin has very little dialogue.[10](https://www.kukinews.com/article/view/kuk202107300267)
The episode centers on the Korean emotion of *han*, a collective feeling of anguish or sorrow. Kim Seong-hun explained that the *Kingdom* story incorporates human history, hunger, the greed for power, and this concept of *han*.[8](https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/arts-and-entertainment/kingdom-ashin-of-the-north-review-a1916-20210728-lfrm) Kim Eun-hee said she felt it would be more audience-friendly to tell Ashin's long, complex story, which follows her from childhood, as a separate tale rather than within the series.[8](https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/arts-and-entertainment/kingdom-ashin-of-the-north-review-a1916-20210728-lfrm)
## Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes the episode holds a 100% Tomatometer from 5 critics and an 83% Popcornmeter from more than 100 audience ratings.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/kingdom_2019/s02.1) IMDb users give it 6.9/10 from 16,000 votes.[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13412252/ratings/) Critics praised the character and the visuals. Hidzir Junaini of NME called it a thrilling antihero's tale that even viewers who have never watched *Kingdom* can enjoy, rating it four of five stars, and noted that the bleak northern scenery, from the Manchurian expanse to coniferous forests and snowscapes, deepens the depiction of Ashin's sorrow.[9](https://www.nme.com/reviews/tv-reviews/kingdom-ashin-of-the-north-review-netflix-zombie-prequel-jun-ji-hyun-2999862) Kate Sánchez of But Why Tho? gave it 9/10, calling it a breathtaking special episode that situates the creation of the undead within a larger history.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/kingdom_2019/s02.1)
Recurring criticisms concerned pace and tone. Jae-Ha Kim rated it 2.5/4, finding it entertaining but not of the same storytelling caliber as the first two seasons.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/kingdom_2019/s02.1) The Esquire Philippines review described the pace as glacial, with few zombies beyond a chilling opening sequence and the vengeance at the end, and observed that Ashin, deadened by her experiences, is as monstrous as the zombies and difficult to cheer for.[8](https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/arts-and-entertainment/kingdom-ashin-of-the-north-review-a1916-20210728-lfrm) Austin Burke of Flick Fan Nation wrote that the tale of vengeance overcomes its pacing with a compelling story, rating it 7.5/10.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/kingdom_2019/s02.1)
## Availability
The episode streams on Netflix, where it is listed as a special in the thriller and mystery categories.[12](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81312457) As of October 2026 it was available on Netflix in India, the United States, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, and Germany.[3](https://movieto.watch/movie/845222-kingdom-ashin-of-the-north/)
## References
1. [Kingdom: Ashin of the North, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/kingdom_2019/s02.1)
2. [(Yonhap Interview) 'Kingdom' screenwriter says Netflix series is all about politics, Yonhap News Agency](https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20210730004100315)
3. [Kingdom: Ashin of the North (2021): Where to Watch & Stream Online, Movie To Watch](https://movieto.watch/movie/845222-kingdom-ashin-of-the-north/)
4. [Kingdom: Ashin of the North (TV Movie 2021) – Ratings, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13412252/ratings/)
5. [Studio Dragon analyst report, November 2021](https://studiodragon.irplus.co.kr/fileupload/analyst_e/202111/20211105_sd1.pdf)
6. [Kingdom: Ashin of the North (2021), FilmAffinity](https://www.filmaffinity.com/en/film300826.html)
7. [Kingdom: Ashin of the North – stream online, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/ph/movie/kingdom-ashin-of-the-north)
8. [Kingdom: Ashin of the North Delves Into the Despair of a Doomed Zombie World, Esquire Philippines](https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/arts-and-entertainment/kingdom-ashin-of-the-north-review-a1916-20210728-lfrm)
9. ['Kingdom: Ashin Of The North' review: epic K-zombie prequel delivers vengeful origin story, NME](https://www.nme.com/reviews/tv-reviews/kingdom-ashin-of-the-north-review-netflix-zombie-prequel-jun-ji-hyun-2999862)
10. [[쿠키인터뷰] 새로운 '킹덤'을 열다…'아신전' 김성훈 감독, Kukinews](https://www.kukinews.com/article/view/kuk202107300267)
11. [[인터뷰] '킹덤:아신전' 김성훈 감독 "모든것이 딱 맞아 떨어졌다", Seoul Economic Daily via Daum](https://v.daum.net/v/kSFKBOs5fl)
12. [Kingdom: Ashin of the North, Netflix Media Center](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81312457)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Franchise and series entries as standalone works › Direct-to-video and streaming series film entries*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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