King the Land fans are in for a treat. Seven Seas Entertainment, who has been steadily ramping up their webtoon licenses, announced in their Wonderful Wednesday announcements for September 18 that they have licensed the prequel manhwa, written by Choi Rome and illustrated by Spoon who also is the artist for Who Made Me a Princess. The prequel follows the main characters Gu Won and Sa Rang when they were children. This will be the first time Seven Seas has licensed a manhwa adaptation of a K-Drama.
Most of the time, live-action series are adapted from existing material. Very rarely do we see it the other way around where a webtoon is created after a live-action series or animated series has been created. Although in this case, the King the Land manhwa prequel was dropped on KakaoPage even before the premiere of the drama, on June 11.
For those curious as to what Gu Won and Sa Rang’s lives were like when they were young, Seven Seas describes the King the Land prequel as below:
Gu Won’s upbringing was straight from a storybook—he was the prince of his own world, surrounded by opulence and luxury. Yet, beneath the façade of grandeur, his life was a tapestry of loneliness and betrayal.
With a father who pits him against his own sister, Gu Won’s world is icy and devoid of joy—until he meets Sa Rang, the sunny daughter of a humble servant. Her friendship and radiant smile begin to thaw his frozen heart. But tragedy strikes, tearing them apart and leaving Sa Rang orphaned and adrift. As their paths diverge, bitterness and longing fuel their journey onward. Can these once inseparable friends navigate their way back to each other?
King the Land premiered on June 17, 2023 and starred Lee Junho (The Red Sleeve and Good Manager) and Im Yoon-ah (The King in Love and Love Rain). The story follows an adult Gu Won who is the heir and head general manager of King Hotel and adult Sa Rang who lands a job at the prestigious King Hotel. Sa Rang always has a smile on her face although Gu Won can’t stand it because he’s convinced it’s all a front.
King the Land swept all of the awards it was nominated for including the Daesang (which means Grand Prize) for Actor of the Year for Lee, as well as the Popularity Award for both Lee and Im.
King the Land Vol. 1 releases as a paperback in February 2025 and is priced at $21.99 USD or $28.99 for CAD.
Source: Seven Seas Entertainment
