If you’re a fan of period dramas that fill both your heart and your stomach (or if you’re on your third rewatch of Mr. Queen), Bon Appétit, Your Majesty is your next must-watch K-drama. Based on the web comic Surviving as Yeonsangun’s Chef, the new genre-bending series follows a virtuoso cook who’s magically transported from 2025 to the Joseon era when she comes upon a mysterious ancient cookbook called “Mangunrok.” She lands in the crosshairs of one of Korean history’s cruelest tyrants; lucky for her, the show’s version is more misunderstood dreamboat than unrelenting despot.
Since its premiere on August 23, Bon Appétit, Your Majesty has become appointment viewing, earning the highest domestic ratings of any tvN drama this year and a firm spot in Netflix’s Top 10 for non-English shows. With the romance K-drama airing weekly through September, it’s time to learn more about the global superstars and acclaimed actors bringing the time-bending court intrigue to life. Below, learn everything you need to know about the cast of Bon Appétit, Your Majesty.
Lim Yoon-a as Yeon Ji-yeong
(Image credit: tvN)
When we first meet Yeon Ji-yeong in 2025, she’s an acclaimed chef who has just won the grandest cooking competition in France. After crash-landing in Joseon, she utilizes her anachronistic cooking skills and knowledge of history to keep the favor of the king and survive until she can find a way home.
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Lim Yoon-a (a.k.a. Yoona), 35, is an actress and K-pop singer who debuted in 2007 as a member of the legendary girl group Girls’ Generation. She made her K-drama debut in the same year, and has appeared in dramas including You Are My Destiny, Cinderella Man, The K2, The King in Love, Big Mouth, and King the Land. She has also starred in movies including the Confidential Assignment franchise, Exit, A Year-End Medley, and Pretty Crazy.
Lee Chae-min as King Yi-heon
(Image credit: tvN)
Joseon’s monarch Yi-heon is an erratic tyrant who’s despised for his practice of abducting women and bringing them to the palace as “entertainers,” known as “chaehong” (This is inspired by the real-life ruler Yeonsangun.) We soon learn that all his cruelty (including the chaehong) is part of his single-minded mission to get revenge for his mother’s murder. As each of Ji-young’s meals reminds him of his late mother, his heart starts to soften toward the cook.
Lee Chae-min, 24, has had a meteoric rise as an actor and TV personality since his debut in 2021. He’s best known for the romance dramas Crash Course in Romance, See You in My 19th Life, Hierarchy, and Crushology 101. He also co-hosted Music Bank (one of Korea’s music shows, similar to TRL) alongside LE SSERAFIM member Hong Eunchae from September 2022 to May 2024. (Fun fact: He’s publicly dating his Crash Course in Romance co-star Ryu Da-in.)
Kang Han-na as Kang Mok-ju
(Image credit: tvN)
Seven years ago, Kang Mok-ju was imprisoned for killing the nobleman who had bought her from her mother. Prince Je-san freed her and installed her as Yi-heon’s junior consort, to aid in the prince’s plots. When the mysterious Ji-yeong begins winning Yi-heon’s favor, Mok-ju becomes determined to get her out of the picture.
Kang Han-na, 36, earned a Baeksang Arts Award nomination in 2017 for her breakout role as the villainous princess in the historical romance Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. Her best-known roles include the dramas Familiar Wife, Start-Up, My Roommate is a Gumiho, Bloody Heart, and Frankly Speaking. As for Korean reality shows, she has made the most guest appearances in the history of the variety show Running Man, and she recently served as a host/mentor on Netflix’s dating show Better Late Than Single.
Choi Gwi-hwa as Prince Je-san
(Image credit: tvN)
Prince Je-san, Yi-heon’s uncle and the half-brother of the previous king, holds the position of head of the Royal Kitchen. On the surface, Je-san’s a hedonistic playboy who’s criticized for his scandalous life, but he’s secretly been plotting to seize the crown.
Choi Gwi-hwa, 47, is a familiar face to Netflix fans; earlier this year, he had a featured role as Player 203 in Squid Game season 3. The veteran actor is best known for his film roles—including in iconic Korean horror movies like The Wailing and Train to Busan—though he also had a main role in the 2018 Korean remake of Suits.
Seo Yi-sook as Queen Dowager In-ju
(Image credit: tvN)
Queen Dowager In-ju is the matriarch and the highest authority in the royal family, after losing both her husband and her son. Though she’s the one who placed her biological grandson Yi-heon on the throne, they butt heads due to his mood swings (and the monumental secret she’s hiding).
Seo Yi-sook, 58, started her career as a stage actress before making her film debut in the 1998 drama Spring In My Hometown. Since 2010, she has appeared in dozens of dramas, including The Heirs, Empress Ki, Mother, Hotel de Luna, The World of the Married, Start-Up, Under the Queen’s Umbrella, Queenmaker, The Good Bad Mother, and Melo Movie.
Oh Eui-shik as Im Song-jae
(Image credit: tvN)
Im Song-jae is the king’s Chief State Councilor, a cunning strategist and trusted advisor. Sick of being ordered around by Mok-ju, he enlists Ji-young to slip him the information she learns from her meals with Yi-heon.
Oh Eui-shik, 41, began his career as a child actor in stage musicals. In 2015, he made his K-drama debut in the rom-com Oh My Ghost. He has since appeared in beloved romance dramas including Love in the Moonlight, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo, While You Were Sleeping, Familiar Wife, Romance is a Bonus Book, True Beauty, Crash Course in Romance, and Undercover High School.
Yoon Seo-ah as Seo Gil-geum
(Image credit: tvN)
Soon after Ji-young arrives in Joseon, she meets Seo Gil-geum, an orphan whose home had been seized as part of the prince’s hunting ground. Surprisingly, Gil-geum immediately believes that Ji-young is from the future, and the Joseon girl becomes the modern cook’s closest confidant.
Yoon Seo-ah, 24, began working as a teen actress before her breakout role as Ji-wan, an art student who falls in love with her female best friend, in Nevertheless,. She has since appeared in supporting roles in dramas like Bloody Heart, Today’s Webtoon, Goodbye Earth, and The Tale of Lady Ok.
Lee Joo-ahn as Gong-gil
Gong-gil is a member of the “namsadang,” a group of all-male entertainers who serve as jesters for the king. The agile performer is enlisted for several nefarious jobs from both sides of the Yi-heon/Je-san power struggle. (Fun fact: Gong-gil is a real historic figure who was Yeonsangun’s “favorite clown,” even depicted in the 2005 film The King and the Clown.)
Lee Joo-ahn, 29, made his acting debut in 2018 as an orthopedic resident in the hit thriller K-drama SKY Castle. He has since appeared in supporting roles in popular dramas, including Save Me season 2, Chief of Staff season 2, True Beauty, Youth of May, Snowdrop, and Love Song for Illusion.
