A Frozen Flower - 2008

Casts:-
Jo In-seong as Hong Lim
Ju Jin-mo as King
Song Ji-hyo as Queen
Shim Ji-ho as Seung-gi
Im Joo Hwan as Han Baek
Ye Wook-hwan as Im-bo
Song Joong-ki as No-tak
Jang Ji-won as Bo-meok
Kim Choon-gi as Hwang Nae-kwan
Lee Jong-goo as Tae-Sa
Kwon Tae-won as Jo Il-moon
Do Young-goo as Gi Won-hong
No Min-woo as Min Woo
Do Ye-seong as Choi Kwan

A Frozen Flower (Hangul: 쌍화점; RR: Ssanghwajeom) is a 2008 South Korean film directed by Yoo Ha. The particularly controversial story is about the characters’ violation of royal family protocol and their pursuit of love. The film is set in Goryeo Dynasty Korea and stars Jo In-seong, Ju Jin-mo and Song Ji-hyo. The historical background is to some degree the reign of Gongmin of Goryeo (1330–1374), but the film doesn't strictly comply with historical facts.

The king of Goryeo Dynasty Korea has a palace guard composed of thirty six young soldiers, led by military commander Hong-lim.
The King marries a Yuan Dynasty princess, but they do not have any children, because the King is not attracted to women. There is constant pressure upon the King both from the Yuan emperor and the Goryo Kingdom to produce a crown prince and ensure the continuity of its royal dynasty. The King finally decides to charge his bodyguard and lover, Hong-lim, with a strange commission: make love to the Queen and beget a child. Hong-lim and the Queen are uncomfortable accepting the royal order, but they finally comply. However, their relationship does not stop at sexual contact, but a true love bursts into flowers between the two, and in this intimate relationship there is no place for the King.

The two lovers surpass their "official mission" and continue to meet each other at midnight in the library. The King begins to suspect Hong-lim's infidelity, so Hong-lim who asks the Queen to stay away from him and goes to the King to beg for forgiveness. Meanwhile, the Queen attempts to kill herself by slitting her wrists but fails. The King forgives him after hearing that Hong-lim's involvement with the Queen was purely lust. He decides to overlook everything that had happened and instead sends Hong-lim away for a while to have him cool down.

The night before Hong-lim's departure, the Queen's personal maid secretly informs him that the Queen wishes to meet him for one last time. She also bears news that the Queen has finally conceived. Hong-lim sneaks out of the King's bedside to meet the Queen in the library. They end up making love in the library, and the King catches them in flagrant. When the two lovers attempt to save the other by begging the King to "kill me instead," the King realizes how strong their love for each other is. In a fit of jealousy, he has Hong-lim castrated and sent to prison. The queen finds a way for Hong-lim to escape with the aid of Hong-lim's dearest subordinates...