The much-anticipated Netflix series 'Tangeum' is set to premiere on Friday, May 16. 

Starring Lee Jae Wook, Jo Bo Ah, Jung Ga Ram, Uhm Ji Won, Park Byung Eun, and Kim Jae Wook, 'Tangeum' is a mystery romance historical drama that follows the story of Hong Rang, the long-lost son of Joseon's largest trading clan. He returns after 12 years with no memory of his past. Only his half-sister Jae Yi suspects something is amiss, and a strange, unspoken tension begins to grow between them.

The series has high expectations thanks to its strong creative team with director Kim Hong Sun (known for 'Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area,' 'The Guest,' and 'Voice') and writer Kim Jin Ah ('Dr. Brain'),

The teaser poster, released on April 17, captures a gripping moment between Hong Rang (played by Lee Jae Wook) and Jae Yi (portrayed by Jo Bo Ah), who come face-to-face for the first time in 12 years. With Hong Rang having lost all memory of his childhood, and Jae Yi harboring deep suspicions that he may be an impostor, their uneasy standoff teases a relationship fraught with mystery and emotional complexity.

The teaser trailer opens with scenes of young Hong Rang wandering fearfully through a dark forest, while a desperate Jae Yi searches for him. As numerous impostors come forward claiming to be Hong Rang, the real one suddenly reappears—yet Jae Yi is the only one who rejects his identity, immediately calling him a fraud. Their growing suspicion of each other adds to the drama’s intrigue.

The series also features key characters like Mujin (Jung Ga Ram), the adopted heir who takes Hong Rang’s place at the trading clan; Min Yeon Ui (Uhm Ji Won), the mistress of the clan and Hong Rang’s biological mother; Shim Yeol Guk (Park Byung Eun), the clan’s patriarch and father of Hong Rang and Jae Yi; and Han Pyeong Dae Gun (Kim Jae Wook), a royal artist known for his unmatched aesthetic sensibilities. Their roles in the unfolding mystery surrounding Hong Rang and Jae Yi are bound to keep viewers guessing.

A particularly gripping moment shows Hong Rang skillfully fighting off unidentified attackers with a sword, declaring, “How dare you lay a hand on my sister,” suggesting a shift in the pair’s strained relationship and raising questions about his true identity and intentions.

Based on the popular novel “Tangeum: Swallowing Gold” by Jang Da Hye, the series takes its name from an ancient Chinese punishment that forced victims to swallow gold until death—a metaphor for the beautiful yet cruel fate that awaits the characters. With a fresh take on historical conventions and deeply emotional character arcs, Tangeum promises a blend of suspense, romance, and drama. Themes such as the eerie reappearance of missing children, bizarre rumors of a mysterious creature, and forbidden love between half-siblings create a multi-layered, genre-crossing narrative that is sure to captivate viewers.

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