At the cusp of the founding of Joseon Dynasty, an envoy from China is delivering Emperor’s Ming’s Royal Seal. But nature in the form of a giant whale intervenes and swallows the royal seal. When a generous reward is offered to whomever can retrieve the royal seal from the belly of the whale, the race is on. A group of mountain bandits led by Jang Sa Jung and a group of pirates led by Yeo Wol go after the lost treasure, but who will get to to it first?
Practical Effects
Massive practical ship builds that make the ocean feel tangible.
Acting
Son Ye-jin commands every scene as the pirate queen you root for.
Visual Effects
That whale. Sometimes janky, always committed to the bit.
Director
Lee Suk-hoon
Son Ye-jin
Yeo-wol
Kim Nam-gil
Jang Sa-jung
Oh Dal-su
Han Sang-jil
Park Cheol-min
Monk
Yoo Hai-jin
Cheol-bong
Lee Kyung-young
So-ma
Sulli
Heuk-myo
Kim Tae-woo
Mo Hong-Gab
Lee Yi-kyung
Cham-bok
Shin Jung-keun
Yong-gap
Ahn Nae-sang
Jeong Do-jeon
Kim Ian
Baek Chi
Jo Hee-bong
Oh Man-ho
Park Hae-soo
Hwang Joong-geun
Jeon Bae-soo
Baek Seon-gi
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The production built four full-scale ships for authenticity, including a 32-meter pirate vessel that required 150 crew members to operate.
The Ming seal represents real historical tensions—Korea's Joseon dynasty carefully navigated Chinese suzerainty, making this 'lost treasure' a sly commentary on colonial anxiety disguised as popcorn entertainment.
KR
