Writer Korb

100+ Quotes | King The Land (2023)

Updated: August 7, 2023

Here’s a collection of quotes from the Korean drama, King The Land (2023):

“I’ll make King Hotel a place without fake smiles.” – Gu Won

“Don’t smile. I loathe that fake smile.” – Gu Won

  • “He just followed orders because he was told to. If it resulted in a negative outcome, isn’t the person who gave the order at fault?” – Gu Won
  • “I believe it’s not right to blame your juniors without determining the cause.” – Gu Won
  • “Even a mere intern can tell right from wrong.” – Gu Won

“Life can be tiring when you’re in demand.” – No Sang Sik

  • “Is avoiding discomfort hospitable?” – Gu Won
  • “Even over my dead body, you are without a doubt, absolutely, most definitely not my type.” – Gu Won
  • “If you smile, you’re fired.” – Gu Won
  • “We must remain hospitable no matter what the circumstances.” – Cheon Sa Rang

“In this day and age, public image is a warzone.” – No Sang Sik

  • “We aren’t here to look over things. We’re here to do as we’re told.” – No Sang Sik
  • “I know I should do as I’m told, but I need to know. I’m a person, not a puppet.” – Cheon Sa Rang

“You might work at daddy’s company as a hobby, but some people work hard just to make ends meet.” – Cheon Sa Rang

  • “Do you even know what kind of stone you threw in my direction today?” – Gu Won
  • “Director Gu, you’ll be the smile king. Ms. Cheon, you’ll be the smile queen.” – Photographer
  • “Your smile is worth a hundred million dollars.” – Photographer
  • “A superior can become a lover and a lover can become a father.” – Old woman
  • “All people are the same. That means everyone should be treated equally. No one should be mistreated.” – Cheon Sa Rang
  • “Do you think it’s easy to fake a smile? Not everyone can do it. It’s a high-level technique.” – Cheon Sa Rang

“I’m always smiling. I smile even when I’m hurt or sad. But it’s better that I suffer the pain. If someone else suffered because of me, that would make me feel even worse.” – Cheon Sa Rang

  • “But why do you dislike smiling so much?” – Cheon Sa Rang
  • “Because everyone wears it as a mask. It’s all fake.” – Gu Won

“I can’t help but smile when I see this person smile.” – Gu Won

  • “There’s no such thing as love for people in our station.” – Gu Won’s father
  • “It’s pointless to be considerate to someone who doesn’t value me.” – Cheon Sa Rang
  • “When one person always humors another, that person gets ruined. I think I ruined you.” – Cheon Sa Rang

“You like her, but you can’t tell her. You want to get her attention, but you have no idea what to do. That’s why you pick on her and act rudely. That’s what kids do.” – No Sang Sik

“You have no sense of rumor, no consideration, and no popularity. That’s why you’re not seeing anyone.” – No Sang Sik

“This is my spot.” – Gu Won

“Where’s my mom? She wasn’t here yesterday and she’s not here today.” – Young Gu Won

  • “Where’s your umbrella?” – Gu Won
  • “It flew away.” – Cheon Sa Rang
  • “You should’ve have held on to it.” – Gu Won
  • “I didn’t want to. It was carried far away by the wind and for some reason, it made me feel at ease. Maybe I should’ve let go a lot earlier.” – Cheon Sa Rang
  • “Is this about your umbrella? Or is it about your lovelife?” – Gu Won

“Hey, men don’t spend money on women they’re not interested in.” – Gang Da Eul

“I’m extremely busy. But I shall give up my precious time for you. I’ll give you my precious time.” – Gu Won

“I’ve always had to wait for everything. Whether it was for the bus or the taxi, I always waited. When will it be my turn? What if the line cuts off in front of me and I lose my chance? But someone told me that the countless people waiting in line work for those who never have to wait in line.” – Cheon Sarang

“A company that’s too busy making money to care about the safety of its employee can’t possibly turn into a luxury brand. It’s nothing but a vain dream.” – Gu Won

“This is about saving a life. It’s not about power.” – Gu Won

  • “Don’t put out your life for work. There’s nothing as foolish as that.” – Ginger man
  • “Small things can give you joy.” – Cheon Sa Rang
  • “If you have money to buy flowers, you should open a savings account.” – Grandma

“No matter how rich your family is, you must make a living for yourself.” – Grandma

  • “I’ll let you take me.” – Gu Won
  • “Take you where?” – Cheon Sa Rang
  • “On a date.” – Gu Won
  • “Date?” – Cheon Sa Rang
  • “You wanted to eat. It’s a date.” – Gu Won
  • “You did all that to save just one person?” – Chairman Gu
  • “Have you ever saved even one person?” – Gu Won

“The toughest thing in the world is saving just one person. You begin to wonder if it’ll be worth it. The world has become a place where things are valued more than a person’s life.” – Chairman

  • “I’ve already met someone I like.” – Gu Won
  • “Is your chest just open to anyone? What are you, a public rest area?” – Cheon Sa Rang
  • “Your eyes are blazing with jealousy.” – Gu Won
  • “From now on, I’ll make sure there are no more uncertainties.” – Gu Won

“People don’t care about the facts. They want drama.” – Gu Hwaran

“You have to appear then disappear. Get close but not too close.” – No Sang Sik

“A lot of people devote their time and energy to satisfy the guests that’ll be sitting here.” – Cheon Sa Rang

“If I don’t, the things that I do become chores that can be done by anyone. However, if I give meaning to it, it becomes something special that only I can do.” – Cheon Sa Rang

  • “The heart is first. The expression is second.” – Cheon Sa Rang
  • “You’re not smiling because someone asked you to. It needs to be sincere.” – Cheon Sa Rang
  • “The guests all know how you’re feeling inside through your smile.” – Cheon Sa Rang
  • “You need to smile from the heart. Sincerity is something you can feel.” – Cheon Sa Rang
  • “It’s not that I’m dying to get promoted. It’s my desperate struggle to survive.” – Oh Pyeong Hwa
  • “To triumph in this fierce competition, you need to show enough passion to match what the others are doing.” – Flight attendant

“Those who are powerful end up getting recorded. I mean, some go down in history. But for the rest of us, it doesn’t matter if we disappear without a trace, so their records get deleted.” – No Sang Sik

“No one in this world is a nobody.” – Gu Won

“Those who fight for others stand no chance against someone who fights for themselves.” – Gu Hwaran

“I heard that people confuse what they want to do with what they want to become.” – Lee Ro Un

  • “Attention to detail is important in customer service.” – Cheon Sa Rang
  • “When you’re with me, don’t suppress your emotions. Just be yourself.” – Gu Won

“I like you a lot. Will you accept my feelings?” – Gu Won

  • “Come to think of it, I liked everything about you from the start.” – Gu Won
  • “Thank you for liking everything about me.” – Cheon Sa Rang

“I’ll always be next to you. I’ll always be in your line of sight. I’ll always be within arm’s reach.” – Gu Won

“If you like her, you should first find out what kind of life she’s lived and what kind of person she is.” – Grandma

  • “How can you just declare you like her when you don’t know anything about her?” – Grandma
  • “If I do well, it’s a given. If I do poorly, I get on my superior’s bad side.” – Da Eul
  • “The company should recognize and reward its employees.” – Gu Won
  • “The higher-ups only look up. They don’t care about us. If things go well, it’s thanks to them. If not, it’s our fault.” – Da Eul
  • “It doesn’t matter who does it. If you work this hard for the company, the company should also treat you well.” – Gu Won
  • “I just want to be appreciated for the work that I do.” – Da Eul

“Why do we have to wish for something that should already be given? We deserve what we deserve.” – Pyeong Hwa

“When we eat, go hard. When we have fun, go hard. All together, we go hard!” – No Sang Sik

“Tomorrow will be even better. I’ll make everyday of yours filled with happiness.” – Gu Won

  • “I was wailing as I looked for her but everyone else had a smile on their faces.” – Gu Won
  • “I don’t know if she abandoned me or if she had a reason to leave. So I’m not sure if I should miss her or despise her.” – Gu Won

“Thank you for coming into my life.” – Gu Won

“There’s nothing more to ask for. I have you with me. I don’t need anything else.” – Gu Won

“What’s the point of traveling together when everyone just splits up?” – No Sang-sik

  • “It’s nice to be in the same space as you, even for a short while.” – Gu Won
  • “There’s a saying that the moment you forget about the people who helped you along the way is the moment of your fall.” – Gu Won
  • “Whether an executive or an employee, anyone who works hard for the company will receive the same treatment.” – Gu Won

“Do you really think all people are the same? Even though all balloons look the same, some float up and some fall down. What differentiates them is their blood. They may look the same, but they’re not. Because they have different genes. Just like you and me.” – Gu Hwaran

  • “No secrets are forever.” – Gu Won
  • “Asking for help is a skill.” – Chairman Gu Ilhun
  • “People are all the same. Difference in status? As if.” – Oh Pyeong Hwa
  • “There may be a difference, but it’s nothing before love.” – Da Eul

“It doesn’t matter who the world belongs to. Let’s wonder if it’s worth living in.” – Gu Won

  • “Preying on people’s sentiments can win praise easily. But will it bring us any money?” – Gu Hwaran
  • “Manners are unlike the law, so it isn’t compulsory to abide by them, but it does display a person’s worth.” – Gu Won
  • “If the customer is king, he should act like one, too.” – Gu Won
  • “I can’t leave you alone if you’re this endearing.” – Gu Won

“They say you can go anywhere if there’s a trail in your heart.” – Cheon Sa Rang

  • “I am in love with someone else.” – Gu Won
  • “It’s my problem. It’s up to me to decide my future.” – Cheon Sa Rang
  • “A hotel should not just focus on selling rooms. It should provide a memorable experience.” – Gu Won

“The company makes the employees. And the employees make the company.” – Gu Won

  • “Mr. Gu, starting next month, you’re the president of the hotel. Be at the forefront and make King Hotel the best hotel in the world.” – Chairman Gu Ilhun
  • “You accomplished what I desperately wanted to do.” – Chairman Gu Ilhun
  • “Kids being mature is not a good sign. Adults should be the nature ones. Even being mature as an adult is hard.” – Cheon Sa Rang
  • “Being honest isn’t a bad thing. It means you’re brave.” – Gu Won
  • “It’s easy to sympathize with someone worse off, but it’s not easy to applaud someone better off.” – Oh Pyeong Hwa
  • “Don’t mind what these nameless strangers say.” – Da Eul
  • “From the day I met you, my world has been full of you.” – Gu Won

“It’s not a scandal. It’s a love story.” – Gu Won

“Rain falls on everyone. It’s just that some get wetter than others. But eventually, the rain stops. I’ll be your umbrella.” – Lee Ro Un

“You only live once. You should do what you really want to do. Don’t mind other people and don’t hesitate either.” – Sarang’s grandma

“Do everything you want to. If it isn’t the way, you can take a detour. If you fall off a cliff, you can climb up again.” – Sarang’s grandma

  • “No matter where you are, no matter what you do, I’ll always be by your side.” – Gu Won
  • “They say good shoes take you to good places.” – Gu Won

“I still have to pass the most important review. I want to be with you forever. Will you marry me?” – Gu Won

“If you aren’t the princess, you must be the queen.” – Gu Won

  • “Shall we go?” – Gu Won
  • “Anywhere with you.” – Cheon Sa Rang

Genre: Romance, Comedy
Synopsis: The story of two complete opposites, an elegant chaebol heir who cannot stand fake smiles and a bright hotel employee whose job is to smile for customer service.
No. of episodes: 16
Cast: Lee Junho, Lim Yoona
Writer: Choi Rom
Director: Im Hyun-wook
Network: JTBC
Streaming platform: Netflix
Date: June 17, 2023

Netflix subtitle translation:
Stephanie Jung, Eun-sook Yoon