After successfully solving a high-profile murder case using his physiognomy skills, Nae-gyeong’s reputation reaches the royal court. He is eventually recruited by King Munjong to identify potential traitors who might threaten the throne.
Upon the King's untimely death, the nation is plunged into a power struggle between the loyalist general Kim Jong-seo and the ambitious Grand Prince Suyang , who seeks to usurp the throne from the young heir, King Danjong.
The Face Reader (2013) is a South Korean historical drama that explores the life of Nae-gyeong, the son of a disgraced noble family who possesses the extraordinary ability to read a person’s personality, mental state, and future just by looking at their face.