22. and my name, which you cannot say, is Lee Gon.
Episode 5
This is the first time this statement gets said, and it becomes more and more frequent as the show continues. I deduce that it’s a reoccurring theme. As such, it signifies the power of a person’s name and the implications of being connected or familiar with them in-order to address someone so casually. On-the-other-hand, it can also lead to displaying signs of disrespect.
23. I’ll try to win wearing the clothes I like.
Episode 7
Powerful woman figures,
a character trope that doesn’t come in short supply in The King: Eternal Monarch.
In fact, this statement endears our villainous Prime Minister into the hearts of our woman audience.
It’s a line that has me screaming.
Girls, you heard it first from Miss Prime Minister … YOU CAN WIN WEARING THE CLOTHES YOU LIKE. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
24. i didn’t realize until now that I’m so handsome
Episode 7
Sometimes we don’t realize how beautiful we truly are until it is reflected back to us. Sometimes it just takes looking at how someone else perceives us to shed some light on the matter. And you know what, sometimes you don’t need that either. Regardless, it’s okay to need or want affirmation. It also is okay to not need it. You do you.
25. Don’t kill him, he belongs to the government.
Episode 7
Don’t we all.
Also, isn’t it a bit weird to kill your doppelgänger? I know it is a reoccurring theme in this drama, but don’t you think that you would really have to hate yourself in-order to murder an individual that is your spitting image …
26. They really are not controlling fake news.
Episode 7
What a fun way to integrate current affairs into a drama.
On another note, being a person who works in media and news organization myself, anytime I hear the phrase “fake news” I become really angry. It’s a phrase that demeans and invalidates the research and hard work that journalists do. We receive a broad label that is born out of a few bad apples who misrepresent information to the public. Not all journalists spread “fake news.” We work hard to provide truthful and trustworthy information to the public in order for viewers to make informed decisions. Their own decisions.
Even with this said, I have added this quote to the list for its relative qualities. If I saw “Donald Trump, US President” in a different time, parallel universe, or even a different country … I certainly wouldn’t believe it. In fact, I would likewise believe it’s a hoax.
27. Greed is the most sincere emotion
Said by the Prime Minister, this quote is so harsh but cruel in its honesty. I want to believe love is the most sincere emotion… but even love can be self serving at times, right? The only unconditional love that we are given comes from God. Although this is a concept that I have battled against for most of my life, I have yet to come to any other conclusion. The human experience has taught me this.
Love can be self serving. You can love a person for what they make you feel… that comes from the “I,” the ego. On the other hand, greed in itself is self serving. You see greed for what it is, it isn’t obscuring deeper or more malicious intentions or emotions. Greed is greed. Don’t let me sway you though:
so tell me, does that leave greed as the most sincere emotion?
28. Depending on the meaning that’s added to it, it can have meanings of healing to some and prayers to others.
Episode 10
In reference to the “plus” symbol, King Lee Gon says this to his people at the Kingdom’s Lunar New Year Address.
"I've been thinking about the plus sign, a mathematical symbol. It's found in hospital signs, equations, and it's also a cross." - King Lee Gon
This quote opens possibilities and perceptions to many different kinds of people, beliefs, and cultures. It is a politically correct yet insightful quote, and it deserves to make the list due to its thought provoking nature.
I am a firm believer that a person’s background, culture, and experiences impact and influence the meaning we attach to certain words ans symbols. I think this is an excellent example of that philosophy.
29. You had told the world that I had died. so now bring this dead man back to life
Lee Lim to King Lee Gon in Episode 10
This quote alone brings forth a new delimna in the plot.
How will the king handle the mess that was created: revealing the truth will earn him distrust from the public as they will feel betrayed from the lack of transparency, yet concealing the truth will put people at risk too.
The show is now transitioning into the last third of the drama.
30. Now you’re starting to sound like a king.
Lee Lim to King Lee Gon
If even the power hungry villain is telling you this, then either you are doing something right or something really wrong.
This statement shows a shift of thought and power. The one thing Lee Lim has wanted all this time is power … eternity … and the crown. To admit this, it’s a big step for our treasonous Lee Lim.
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Randi Orr 