How The Remarried Empress stars Shin Min-a, Ju Ji-hoon and cast brought the hit webtoon to life

Entertainment With nearly 3 billion views behind the original webtoon, the Disney+ fantasy romance adaptation starring Shin Min-a, Ju Ji-hoon, Lee Jong-suk and Lee Se-young comes with high expectations. The stars reveal during a virtual press conference in Seoul how they brought its royal scandals and fantasy world to life. Director Cho Su-won (centre) with The Remarried Empress cast members (from left) Ju Ji-hoon, Shin Min-a, Lee Jong-suk and Lee Se-young at the drama's press conference at Conrad Seoul on Nov 3, 2026. (Photo: Disney+) New: You can now listen to articles. This audio is generated by an AI tool. 04 Nov 2026 01:14PM (Updated: 04 Nov 2026 01:19PM) Royalty, romance and scandal are the ingredients of a juicy drama, and Disney+'s latest Korean fantasy romance, The Remarried Empress, looks set to deliver them all.Director Cho Su-won and stars Shin Min-a, Ju Ji-hoon, Lee Jong-suk and Lee Se-young spoke about the production during a press conference at Conrad Seoul on Monday (Nov 3), which CNA Lifestyle attended virtually.Based on the popular web novel and webtoon of the same name, The Remarried Empress follows Navier (Shin), the empress of the Eastern Empire, whose seemingly perfect marriage falls apart when her husband, Emperor Sovieshu (Ju), falls for Rashta (Lee Se-young), a runaway slave. When Sovieshu demands a divorce, Navier agrees, but with a condition: To remarry Heinrey (Lee Jong-suk), the crown prince of the neighbouring Western Kingdom – resulting in a royal scandal.The 10-episode series was originally scheduled to premiere on Nov 4, but Disney moved its release forward by a day following enthusiastic reactions to the first three episodes screened at the Busan International Film Festival."We received such positive reactions at the Busan International Film Festival, so my expectations are even higher now," director Cho Su-won said in Korean during the press conference, adding that he was particularly curious and nervous about how audiences would respond to the series. Shin Min-a plays Navier, the titular empress who seeks to remarry after her husband brought home a mistress. (Photo: Disney+) ADAPTING A BELOVED WEBTOON FOR THE SMALL SCREENWith its webtoon having attracted nearly 3 billion views across over 10 languages, The Remarried Empress comes with a substantial fanbase and high expectations.The original web novel was written by Alphatart, while the webtoon adaptation was created by HereLee and illustrated by Sumpul.Cho, whose previous directing credits include Pinocchio, I Can Hear Your Voice and Doctor John, said that one big challenge was establishing the right tone.Responding to a question from a media outlet about what he chose to add or leave out of the original story, Cho explained that the novel carried a certain seriousness, while the webtoon was brighter and featured more playful characters."I tried to find a balance somewhere between those two versions," he said, adding that he had wanted to remain as faithful to the original work as possible.Shin, meanwhile, admitted that she had read the script before becoming familiar with the original story."It was a very different kind of script from anything I'd encountered before, so I was intrigued," said the actress, known for Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha and My Girlfriend Is A Gumiho. "At the same time, I had both concerns and expectations about how it would translate onto the screen."Despite the unfamiliar fantasy setting, Shin found the story's underlying themes relatable."Some of the story's themes are actually familiar to us," she said. "I thought that if we could successfully combine those familiar elements with this entirely new world, we could create a very distinct drama."Lee Jong-suk, who had already enjoyed both the web novel and webtoon before joining the project, said the adaptation's unfamiliar setting was part of its appeal. Lee Jong-suk as Heinrey, who has the special ability to turn into a bird. (Photo: Disney+) BRINGING ROYAL CHARACTERS TO LIFEWhile the series features four characters whose lives become increasingly entangled, each actor faced a different challenge in bringing their role to life.Shin's challenge was finding the balance between Navier's responsibilities as an empress and her emotions as a woman dealing with betrayal."Because Navier is an empress, there's a certain weight and responsibility that comes with her position," Shin explained. "Compared with other characters, or even characters I've played in the past, she can't openly display dramatic changes in emotion."At the same time, the actress wanted audiences to see the woman beneath the royal title: "She's also a woman who falls in love again and makes the decision to pursue that love."Shin said she felt it was important to navigate the emotional balance carefully so that viewers could empathise with Navier and root for her choices.Ju, who previously played royalty in Princess Hours and Kingdom, described Sovieshu as a capable ruler, but less adept at understanding the consequences of his romantic decisions."He's someone who follows wherever his heart leads him, without really considering how his actions might hurt other people," he said.Ju explained that while Sovieshu's decision to take a mistress and secure an heir might seem unforgivable to Navier, the expectations placed on a ruler could offer a different interpretation.The challenge, he said, was giving Sovieshu believable motivations without undermining the story's focus on Navier and the emotional consequences of his decisions. Lee Se-young and Ju Ji-hoon as Rashta and Emperor Sovieshu. (Photo: Disney+) Ju is also well aware that viewers might not be particularly fond of his character.Responding to a question from a media outlet about the audience's anger towards Sovieshu during the Busan International Film Festival screenings, the actor joked that more than two decades in the entertainment industry had prepared him for negative comments."As long as audiences enjoy the series, they're more than welcome to criticise my character as much as they like," he said. Meanwhile, Lee Se-young had to find a way to make Rashta, who disrupts Navier's marriage, more than simply a character audiences love to hate.The actress described Rashta as innocent and childlike on the surface, but driven by a powerful survival instinct. Having escaped slavery and suddenly found herself surrounded by wealth and privilege, Rashta becomes desperate to hold on to her new life. When asked about matching the original character's appearance, Lee admitted that she had put considerable effort into her looks."I came to the conclusion that if she weren't so innocent-looking and extraordinarily beautiful, people would probably find her much harder to forgive," she said.She hoped audiences would feel frustrated by Rashta's actions while still finding moments of sympathy for her.Lee Jong-suk added that playing the charming Heinrey came with its own pressure, as the prince is described in the original work as extraordinarily handsome."There were so many descriptions in the script, like people fainting simply from making eye contact with him, or being completely captivated by the sound of his voice," Lee recalled. "So compared with any other project I've worked on, I had to pay much more attention to my physical appearance."He added that the character's relaxed, playful and slightly mischievous personality was another quality he worked hard to capture. CREATING A BELIEVABLE FANTASY WORLDTo bring the setting to life, the production filmed at castles and gardens in Germany and the Czech Republic, while large-scale sets were constructed in South Korea.Cho said considerable preparation went into developing the show's visual identity, from studying production design and visual effects references to scouting suitable locations.He recalled discovering Schleissheim Palace in Germany and immediately imagining how the characters might inhabit the space."Oh, this place is really wonderful! Our characters could have so much fun here!" Cho recalled thinking.Shin added that the costumes and styling were also an important part of the experience. With elaborate gowns, frequently changing hairstyles and the need to maintain Navier's regal composure, the actress said filming in such a distinctive world was particularly "enjoyable".Lee Jong-suk also revealed the challenges he faced in portraying the bird named Queen, which his character has the magical ability to turn into. The visual effects team incorporated elements of his appearance and movements into the CGI bird to help audiences recognise the connection between the two identities, he said. Shin, who had to act opposite the CGI bird, also said that the production team provided visual references and detailed explanations of Queen's movements and expressions.Lee Jong-suk joked that one aspect of the transformation was particularly daunting, as in the original story, Heinrey is naked when he transforms from a bird back into a human.Despite the extensive preparations, the cast hopes audiences will set aside their expectations and simply enjoy the fantasy.Ju believes the show's imaginative setting makes it a natural fit for Disney+. Recalling the Disney productions he watched growing up, he said he had always associated them with worlds filled with imagination.He felt that The Remarried Empress offered a similar opportunity for escapism. Rather than scrutinising every detail for realism, Ju encouraged viewers to embrace the story's fantasy elements."I really hope audiences will allow themselves to enjoy it freely, without overthinking things," he said.Lee Jong-suk added that even those unfamiliar with the original webtoon might find themselves pleasantly surprised."If you simply allow yourself to enjoy the story for what it is, you'll definitely find it entertaining, even if the world feels a little unfamiliar at first," he said.The Remarried Empress is out now on Disney+ and Hulu, with the first four episodes available. Two new episodes are scheduled to be released every Wednesday starting Nov 11, with the finale on Nov 25.