# Missing Crown Prince

Missing Crown Prince (Korean: 세자가 사라졌다) is a 2024 South Korean television series written by Kim Ji-soo and Park Chul, directed by Kim Jin-man, and starring Suho, Hong Ye-ji, Myung Se-bin, Kim Joo-hun, and Kim Min-kyu. It aired on MBN from April 13, to June 16, 2024, every Saturday and Sunday at 21:40 (KST). It is also available for steaming on TVING and Wavve in South Korea, and on Viki and Viu in selected regions.

## Synopsis

Set in Joseon, the series is about a crown prince who is kidnapped by the woman destined to be his wife. While fleeing for their lives, romance blooms between them.

## Cast and characters
### Main

* Suho as Yi Geon
** Jung Hyeon-jun as young Yi Geon
    King Haejong's eldest son who was appointed as the crown prince when his father ascended to the throne through a rebellion.
* Hong Ye-ji as Choi Myung-yoon
    A person who has outstanding skills in horseback riding and medicine.
* Myung Se-bin as Min Soo-ryun
    A Queen Dowager.
* Kim Joo-hun as Choi Sang-rok
    Choi Myung-yoon's father who is a royal physician at naeuiwon.
* Kim Min-kyu as Grand Prince Doseong
** Yang Hee-won as young Grand Prince Doseong
    Yi Geon's half-brother who has excellent martial arts skills.
* Yoo Se-rye as Queen Yoon
    King Haejong's second wife who is an affectionate and empathetic person.

### Supporting

* Jeon Jin-oh [ko] as King Haejong
    The current King of Joseon who is also the father of Yi Geon and Grand Prince Doseong.
* Cha Kwang-soo [ko] as Yoon Yi-gyeom
    Queen Yoon's father who is the Second State Councillor.
* Kim Seol-jin [ko] as Gap-seok
    A royal attendant at the crown prince's residence and Yi Geon's companion.
* Park Sung-yeon as Court Lady Kim
    Queen Dowager Min's lady-in-waiting.
* Son Jong-bum [ko] as Yoon Jeong-dae
    Head of the capital bureau.
* Bang Jae-ho as Mu-baek
    Choi Sang-rok's right-hand man and bodyguard.
* Kim No-jin [ko] as Oh-wol
    Choi Myung-yoon's maid.
* Hayden Won as Cheol-du
    Grand Prince Doseong's confidant.
* Park Sung-woo as Heo Jin-soo
    The Royal Physician.
* Jung Yoon-seo [ko] as Court Lady Cho
    Queen Yoon's lady-in-waiting.
* Kim Sung-hyun as Han Sang-su
    Yi Geon's eunuch.
* Kim Tae-geun [ko] as Kim Dae-seung
    An official at the Office of Censors.
* Park Gi-deok as the chief of naesi and King Haejong's eunuch
* Choi Jong-yoon [ko] as Jung-yeong
    A royal guard.
* Nam Kyung-eup [ko] as Daegam Mun-hyeong
    Yi Geon's maternal grandfather.

## Production
### Development

The series was written by Kim Ji-soo and Park Chul, who both wrote Bossam: Steal the Fate (2021), and directed by Kim Jin-man, who worked on Kill Me, Heal Me (2015) and Stealer: The Treasure Keeper (2023). Filming began in 2023.
In October 2023, production companies Chorokbaem Media and Superbook Co., Ltd. signed a business agreement with Mungyeong City to support the production of the series.

### Casting

Suho, Hong Ye-ji, Kim Min-kyu, and Myung Se-bin were reportedly cast in 2023, and they were confirmed as the main casts of the series along with Kim Joo-hun.

## Release

MBN confirmed the premiere date of Missing Crown Prince, which originally was set to be on March 9 but was postponed to April 13, 2024, instead, and will air every Saturday and Sunday at 21:40 (KST). It is also available for steaming on TVING, Wavve, Viki, and Viu.

## Viewership

| Season | Season | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number |
| Season | Season | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| | 1 | 332 | N/A | 550 | 556 | 572 | 482 | 503 | 817 | 693 | 732 | 792 | 798 | 659 | 759 | 751 | 837 | 1020 | 1036 | 900 | 987 |
Average TV viewership ratings :
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Average audience share (Nielsen Korea) | Average audience share (Nielsen Korea) |
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Nationwide | Seoul |
| 1 | April 13, 2024 | 1.452% (14th) | N/A |
| 2 | April 14, 2024 | 1.148% (21st) | N/A |
| 3 | April 20, 2024 | 2.623% (2nd) | 2.444% (2nd) |
| 4 | April 21, 2024 | 2.511% (4th) | 2.174% (5th) |
| 5 | April 27, 2024 | 2.792% (2nd) | 2.159% (3rd) |
| 6 | April 28, 2024 | 2.376% (4th) | 1.847% (4th) |
| 7 | May 4, 2024 | 2.345% (3rd) | 1.753% (5th) |
| 8 | May 5, 2024 | 3.636% (1st) | 3.519% (1st) |
| 9 | May 11, 2024 | 3.237% (1st) | 2.924% (2nd) |
| 10 | May 12, 2024 | 3.086% (3rd) | 2.470% (3rd) |
| 11 | May 18, 2024 | 3.783% (2nd) | 3.317% (2nd) |
| 12 | May 19, 2024 | 3.826% (2nd) | 3.899% (2nd) |
| 13 | May 25, 2024 | 2.944% (2nd) | 2.791% (2nd) |
| 14 | May 26, 2024 | 3.734% (2nd) | 3.457% (2nd) |
| 15 | June 1, 2024 | 3.542% (2nd) | 3.197% (2nd) |
| 16 | June 2, 2024 | 3.976% (1st) | 3.809% (2nd) |
| 17 | June 8, 2024 | 4.350% (1st) | 4.023% (2nd) |
| 18 | June 9, 2024 | 4.517% (2nd) | 4.504% (2nd) |
| 19 | June 15, 2024 | 4.244% (1st) | 3.847% (2nd) |
| 20 | June 16, 2024 | 5.059% (1st) | 4.833% (1st) |
| Average | Average | 3.259% | — |
| In the table above, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings. N/A denotes ratings that were not published. This drama aired on a cable channel/pay TV which normally has a relatively smaller audience compared to free-to-air TV/public broadcasters (KBS, SBS, MBC, and EBS). ||||