Additional information
Her Royal Highness, the Queen, is still unwed despite being in her early
thirties. Since she is an only daughter with no prospect of bearing a child in
the foreseeable future, the royal succession is left in uncertainty when the
current heir to the throne meets a sudden death. Seizing the opportunity
afforded by this crisis, the conservative faction, which presently holds sway
at the Court, begins plotting for the crown. Sensing the threat, the Queen
secretly searches for a new Crown Prince outside the palace walls and
discovers Lee Hu, a young man who has been making his living by
delivering Chinese food, in complete ignorance of his royal heritage. Hu, who
has never even dreamed of becoming the King, is unexpectedly ushered into
the palace and subjected to strict training to become the royal heir. This is
where the main action of `Prince Hours` begins. Lee Hu is forced to compete
with Lee Jun, the perfect candidate for Crown Prince strongly backed by the
extended royal family. The two young men vie for the royal succession as
an intricate web of conflicts, plots, and schemes unfolds around them. This
is a story about communication.Communication between friends, between
men and women, between parents and children, between monarchs and
subjects, between teachers and students...Based on the premise that Korea
is a constitutional monarchy led by a queen, `Prince Hours` opens a new
chapter in fusion fantasy historical drama. It seeks to explore in depth the
idea of communication between people, as well as the repercussions of a
breakdown in such communication.By introducing a protagonist from a
simple, working-class background to palace life, the show endeavors to find
common ground for communication that begins at vastly differing eye
levels.If there are no `perfectly parallel lines in the world, all lines must
surely meet someday- conveying the hope for this future `intersection is the
new yet familiar objective of `Prince Hours.` This story is a fairy tale
preserving our lost innocence.The fantasy of a utopia where all can enjoy
equality and happiness has long since been shattered.Still, each of us
retains the memory of a time when we were genuinely happy.Depicting the
21st century in a 19th-century-style setting, `Prince Hours` will take
contemporary audiences on a journey to rediscovering the innocence we
once had. This story uncovers our lost ideal of `noblesse oblige.` The tale,
which opens during the reign of Korea`s first queen since the restoration of
the monarchy, investigates the definition of leadership demanded by today`s
society, and the essence of the `noblesse oblige` imposed on those who
reach positions of leadership.As the country`s sovereign, the Queen must
now ask herself what kind of example she must set for her people, and
practice true leadership that transcends personal gratification.Suffering the
growing pains attendant on his rebirth as the Crown Prince, the hapless
young man who could barely take care of himself and his family must learn
the deeper truth that with great privilege comes great responsibility and that
sometimes one must give up one thing to obtain another.Rather than being
completed individuals, these characters are leaders-in-progress who must
yet undergo numerous mistakes and trials. They are also reflections of
ourselves as we strive toward our respective goals.The understanding that
noblesse oblige is not an obligation limited to a particular class but one that
can be given to anyone, as well as a shared responsibility for all to uphold
together—this is the ultimate destination of `Prince Hours.`
