City Conquest with Kim Hyun Joong Shuts Down Production as KBS Passes on Airing the Drama

It’s with a disappointed heart that I bring confirmation that City Conquest won’t be conquering anything after all. The dark K-drama adapted from a manhwa starring Kim Hyun Joong, Jung Yumi, and Namgong Min was definitively axed by KBS after the tumultuous last month when the drama replaced most of its production team and did tweaks per KBS requests. The reason given by the network was the drama’s quality just wasn’t up to par, but the production company is countering that the reason was purely political since the new government in South Korea apparently isn’t keen on a drama exploring societal injustice with violent undertones. Initially the network also claimed it was too violent which just made me laugh since KBS is the network that is about to air IRIS 2 with guns, ammo, explosions and stylized violence galore, if the teasers are any indication. I had no expectations the drama would be good since the usually flat-on-screen Kim Hyun Joong continued to look pretty but underwhelming in the stills released during the early parts of filming. Of course this drama could still be picked up by SBS and MBC, but I doubt it will continue filming unless it gets a commitment from either network because it costs money to pre-film a drama, especially one with expensive action sequences. I suppose cable networks like jTBC, OCN, or even tvN can also acquire it, but for now the production has shut down completely and this drama remains a what-coulda-been for now. Have some of the latest and likely final pictures from the filming


Comments

City Conquest with Kim Hyun Joong Shuts Down Production as KBS Passes on Airing the Drama — 29 Comments

  1. Kind of off topic here, but is anyone else getting a Report Attack Page from google when logging into kolala’s page? I had to check on my phone if it was hacked or not, idk if its my security preferences or just a glitch. :/ just wondering

  2. i got one too. it says the opening the site will harm my computer. Anyway, ooh so sad, i rraly like his face, purely his face, not the body, not the acting, not the singing, just JUST FACE.

  3. I think its pretty dead now….otherwise I think they’d have to have the whole thing filmed already like with What’s Up or Birdie Buddy to get picked up by anotger station…ofc it ciuld make comeback with a new cast and produxtion like with Poseidon since Nam Goong Min and Jung Yumi have moved on to other projects

  4. I kinda feel sorry for him, but if he’s serious about becoming an actor, perhaps he’ll use this time for some acting classes. Being in a group of his peers should help him.

    • I feel sorry, too.
      This may have been too expensive, or it may have been really bad. Either way it has to hurt to stop working on something you feel passionately about.

      • I’m leaning towards bad for such an expensive and pointless venture…because the plot probably sucked.

    • Kim Hyun Joong has been taking acting classes. He has a coach with him when travels overseas for his concerts. He takes acting classes when he is in Korea. How do we know … he says it on interviews, he posts pictures or the acting teacher makes comments. The guy is serious in getting better cuz he knows he is not up to par with the rest but he is trying. Yeah yeah yeah I know you will say ‘ you sure defend him cuz your his fan bla bla bla ‘ .. I am .. a fan but I also know that he never gets the credit nor will his non fans know if he is taking acting classes. Time will tell if he has gotten any better cuz I don’t think he can get any worst jajaaa.

      • Oh, I don’t keep up with “any” celeb news so thanks for the info. Since it sounds like he’s taking acting seriously, I look forward to his next project. He should consider a short series that goes from season to season where his character transforms from one season to the next alowing him to express range and develop his skills.

  5. MBC and SBS already notified Dramaback that they dropped them out of contention months ago. jTBC mostly works with Dramahouse and they (or any of the other hybrids) wouldn’t have the money, and OCN has a full plate already (The Virus->Ten 2->Dr. Frost->Kwak Jung-Hwan Project). Of course they’re not tossing an action drama on tvN and ruining their hard earned rebranding.

    Never say never, but 99% bet on this going belly up.

  6. Didn’t this stop production a month ago when they first had problems I swore I read that it did … Also I just read an article yesterday where the guy in charge of this show (or one of them) said if Korea doesn’t want it they are going to japan cause they already showed interest in it so it might not be dead I’m hoping it’s not Khj might not be a good actor but he is pretty to look at and I loveee revenge dramas

    • yes the main actor is extremely popular in japan i remember last month I saw his name in the top ten of most reseached celebs on the net he was far ahead of most other korean actors in the list

  7. I am so sad. Poor KHJ. I didn’t really want to see him running around shooting baddies, but this is so cruel, really. He must be so disheartened.

  8. Aww, man. I would have liked to see it even though I’m not convinced by dead fish eyes the Korean version acting abilities.
    Jung Yumi I now can cat even though I hated her in Rooftop Prince.
    Hasn’t this been bough by Japanese broadcasters?

  9. i felt bad that this drama come to a halt.we all know that shooting a drama in korea is hard. khj surely feel bad that his drama is not going to air. tsk tsk. eventhough he is robotic in PK, i still like him there and would want to see him back in dramalandia.

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