Kingdom: Ashin of the North

Kingdom: Ashin of the North is a feature-length special episode tied to the Korean series Kingdom, centring on Ashin, a woman from a tribe that settled within Joseon. A tragedy, a betrayal and a strange discovery drive her desire for revenge after her tribe and family are lost, while a puzzling illness spreads through the land. The story also covers the earlier encounter between the mysterious Chinese woman Ashin and Prince Lee Chang and his companions near the northern border of Joseon, during their search for the seller of the resurrection plant.

Kim Seong-hun directed, following A Hard Day and Tunnel and preceding Ransomed, from a screenplay by Kim Eun-hee, with Ryu Jeong-hun producing. Jun Ji-hyun plays Ashin, with Kim Si-a as the young Ashin, and Park Byung-eun, Kim Roi-ha, Koo Kyo-hwan and Jung Suk-won among the cast; 31 credited cast members and 41 credited crew members are listed. The film runs 92 minutes and was released in July 2021.

Audience response has been moderately positive, with an IMDb rating of 6.9 from about 15,000 votes and a TMDB rating of 7.1 from roughly 650 votes. The larger IMDb sample and the smaller TMDB sample sit close together, indicating a reasonably consistent reception rather than a sharply divided one.