Excitement builds online for 'Kingdom: Ashin of the North' premiere today

K-drama fans are just counting down the hours before the grand premiere of Kingdom: Ashin of the North, the highly-anticipated special episode of the popular K-zombie series Kingdom on Netflix today, July 23.

This special episode will tackle the origins of the resurrection plant and will feature the character Ashin played by phenomenal Korean actress Jun Ji-hyun (Gianna Jun).

In the Philippines, Kingdom fans have been sharing their excitement online and the special episode has been one of the top trending topics on Twitter Philippines on Friday morning.

In the behind the scenes look of Kingdom: Ashin of the North uploaded on YouTube, Director Kim Seong-hun praised the writer Kim Eun-hee for her impeccable skills as a story-teller.

He said, “It was a four-page synopsis. I told Miss Kim that this is her best writing yet.

“This story traces the beginning of Kingdom, which is very appealing.”

Meanwhile, Eun-hee pointed out why Jun Ji-hyun was the perfect choice for the role of Ashin.

She explained, “I want this character to be a warrior with pain deeply rooted inside.

“And who can portray her better than Gianna Jun?

“My answer is 'no one'.”

Get to know more about the talented K-drama actress Jun Ji-hyun in this gallery.