IU was a former Gong Seung-yeon? … In “The Queen’s Man,” Gong Seung-yeon as the “Grand Queen in the 21st Century,” praised for acting that turns rage into regret and then into tears

[Sports Chosun reporter Jo Ji-young] The reason Gong Seung-yeon turned dark has been revealed.

In episodes 9 and 10 of the MBC Friday-Saturday drama 'The 21st Century Crown Prince’s Wife' (written by Yoo Ji-won, directed by Park Joon-hwa), aired on the 8th and 9th, as the truth behind the contract marriage scandal of Prince Ian (Byun Woo-seok) and his wife, along with the royal decree of the late King Yi Hwan (Sung Joon), came to light, the royal family faced intense turmoil, while the dangerous inner changes of Queen Dowager Yoon I-rang (Gong Seung-yeon), who seeks to protect her son Yoon’s throne, unfolded in a tense manner.

When the contract marriage between Prince Ian and Seong Hee-joo (IU) was exposed, Yoon I-rang immediately summoned the Royal Family Office and strongly pressured the two. Yoon I-rang, who has long been wary of Prince Ian in order to protect Yoon’s position, showed an even colder side through this incident, but at the same time, the revealed details of the late king’s abdication decree and the truth behind the past fire incident pushed her into severe confusion.

In particular, faced with the cruel reality that her own choices to protect her son Yoon’s throne had instead driven Yoon into a corner, Yoon I-rang seemed to collapse. Through her confrontation with her father Yoon Seong-won (Jo Jae-yoon), the wounds revealed and the complex emotions toward Prince Ian further heightened the drama’s tension. In addition, her subtle movements, as if worrying about Seong Hee-joo amid the confusion, increased curiosity about what would happen next.

On this day, Gong Seung-yeon delivered a deeply textured portrayal of Yoon I-rang’s desperate emotions, who had thrown everything away to protect the royal authority, while displaying unmatched screen presence. She showed the dignity of a queen dowager who never lost her composure, yet when her position was shaken by Prince Ian’s decision, she delicately expressed the inner feelings of a character whose pity for her son and long-suppressed wounds from the past were mixed together.

In the scene where she interrogates Prince Ian and his wife, who tarnished the royal family’s dignity, she dominated the atmosphere with cold eyes and a precise tone. And at the moment she was suspected by Yoon Seong-won in relation to the late king’s decree, she conveyed Yoon I-rang’s feelings exactly as they were, with restrained breathing that suppressed explosive emotions.

Above all, the scene where she embraces her son Yoon and breaks into sobs was enough to leave a deep impression on viewers. With Gong Seung-yeon’s profound acting, she convincingly completed the misery of having endured pressure alone all this time, and of sacrificing herself to protect the throne only to end up hurting the most precious being to her.

Added to this, the past storyline from her royal school days, when she had to become the Crown Princess while putting aside her feelings of affection for Prince Ian, created a stark contrast with her cold present self and added richness to the character. Gong Seung-yeon’s powerful performance, freely moving between the innocent past and the precarious present, firmly anchored the center of the drama.

Not only that, but the subtle anxiety she felt while confronting Prime Minister Min Jeong-woo (Noh Sang-hyun), and even a trace of concern for Seong Hee-joo, clearly proved that Yoon I-rang is not a simple villain but a character with a multi-layered narrative.

Meanwhile, at the end of the broadcast, Yoon I-rang’s new move was hinted at, foreshadowing another storm. As attention focuses on what final choice Yoon I-rang, who has driven herself to the limit in order to preserve her son Yoon’s position, will make, the drama 'The 21st Century Crown Prince’s Wife', starring Gong Seung-yeon, with only two episodes left until the finale, airs every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 p.m. on MBC.

Reporter Jo Ji-young [email protected]