대장금 Dae Jang Geum (2003)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Title: 대장금(大長今) / Dae-jang-geum
• Also known as: Jewel in the Palace / Great Jang Geum
• Episodes: 54
• Broadcast network: MBC
• Broadcast period: 2003-Sep-15 to 2004-Mar-23
• Air time: Monday & Tuesday 21:55
• Soundtrack: Dae Jang Geum OST

 

Synopsis

 

 

Dae Jang Geum (Hangul: 대장금; Hanja: 大長今; RR: Dae Jang-geum; MR: Tae Chang-gǔm; literally The Great Jang Geum, aired in the United States as A Jewel in the Palace) is a 2003 TV series produced by South Korean TV channel MBC.

Loosely based on the historical figure depicted in the Annals of Joseon Dynasty, the show focuses on Jang-geum (played by Lee Young Ae), the first female royal physician of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. The main themes are her perseverance, and the portrayal of traditional Korean culture, including Korean royal court cuisine and traditional medicine.

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

Dai Truong Kim The story is set in Korea under the Joseon Dynasty, during the reigns of King Seongjong, King Yeonsan-gun (1494-1506) and King Jungjong (1506-1544). The story begins with Queen Yun, mother of King Yeonsan-gun (the Crown Prince at the time) being poisoned by a group of imperial guards under the order of the king.

 

After the incident, an imperial guard, Seo Cheon-soo, who accompanied the group, suffers an accident on his way home. He is rescued by an enigmatic hermit, who tells him that his life will revolve around three women: he shall cause the death of the first woman, he will save the life of the second woman but will also cause her to die, and a third woman who will cause his death, but who will be the savior of many lives. (It does not become clear until much later that the three women are Lady Yun (Yeonsangun's mother), Park Myeong-yi (Jang-geum's mother), and lastly, Jang-geum herself.). Psychological distress from the incident eventually caused him to resign. While this is occurring, Palace cook Park, an apprentice at the Royal Kitchen, witnesses a conspiracy against the Queen Mother by Lady Choi (who had added a toxin to the food) and Park Myeong-yi is in turn indicted on false charges by the inner circle of senior kitchen staff, and secretly executed by their internal procedures (forced to drink poison). She is first saved by Palace cook Han, her best friend in the palace, who mixes antidote with the poison and slips her a letter, and was later on saved, inadvertently by the retired Seo. The two married and secretly lived in a remote village as low class people cheonmin, raising a very bright young daughter, Seo Jang-geum.

 

In the year 1504, King Yeonsangun orders a massive investigation into his mother's murder, and eventually finds Seo and his family, partly because Jang-geum had immaturely blurt out the truth that her parents were not low-class people, that Seo was a military officer of the palace. This leads to the arrest of Seo and the scattering of their family. Jang-geum and her mother fled, but her mother was fatally wounded by their enemies. Before her death, she tells Jang-geum her last wish, that should she choose to do so, is for her to become the Head Lady of the Royal Kitchen and record the injustice done to her, in the Head Kitchen Ladies' journal or record book.

 

Jang-geum goes through some adventures and manages to enter the palace. Through her courage, curiosity, talent, kind-heartedness and determination, she helps Lady Han (her mother's best friend, which she does not discover until much later) to become the Highest Kitchen Lady. During her years in the palace, she undergoes many ordeals and is shunned because she is smarter than the other apprentices. Jang-geum, however, does not become discouraged and continues cooking with the philosophy that the goal of cooking is to bring good health and happiness to the person who eats the food. Unfortunately, a conspiracy headed by Lady Choi and her niece Geum-yeong, as well as high-rank officials and merchant Pan-sul Choi (Lady Choi's brother) to retain monopoly over Royal Kitchen supplies, results in the exile of Lady Han and Jang-geum to Jeju Island as slaves, on false accusations of treason. on the way to Jeju, an exhausted Lady Han dies. Back in the palace, Lady Choi replaces her as the Highest Kitchen Lady.

 

While Jang-geum is on Jeju Island, she meets Jang-deok, whom she initially believed was a fellow slave. However, she soon discovers that Jang-deok is a famous Medical woman. Jang-deok's frank and pragmatic nature initially offends her, but she soon learns that she is truly dedicated to her profession of saving lives. Jang-geum learns that competent medical women can be selected to work in the Palace through a vigorous selection process. She realizes that is the only way she can return to the palace to avenge her mother and Lady Han. Under Jang-deok, she learns medicine, and her hard work and tenacitic nature makes her a competent medical woman. However, in her quest to become a medical woman, she has to learn to rid herself of the hatred in her heart, in order to truly embrace the virtues of being a medical practitioner. This she does, and eventually successfully re-enters the palace.

 

Soon, she comes face to face with Geum-yeong, who has now become the Head Kitchen Lady. Her predecessor, the ruthless Lady Choi, has become Head Lady, after kicking out the previous Lady Park. As they plot to rid themselves of her once and for all, Jang Geum's relationship with Lt. Min Jeung-ho (who is now part of the King's royal cabinet) intensifies, and the love story between them develops. Jang-geum's best friend, Yeon-seng, has become the king's concubine while Jang-geum has been away and later becomes the eighth Queen in rank which gives Jang-geum more back up in the palace. Jang Geum correctly diagnosed that the King was suffering from Behçet's disease and not from typhoid fever. Eventually, through a dramatic interrogation process, the past plots of Lady Choi and her subordinates are revealed, resulting in the destruction of the Choi family and high-ranking officials.

 

Through her dedication to the royal family, perseverance and skill, she was subsequently recognised as the best medical personnel in the palace. Previously, Jang-Geum had correctly diagnosed the Queen as having a second stillborn fetus in her womb, saving her life. She had also managed to convince the Queen Mother to undergo medical treatment and had found out the root cause of the King's chronic illness, which had remained misdiagosed for a long time by royal physicians. Now, she further earns the gratitude of the Queen, when she successfully cures her son of small pox.

 

In a strange turn of events, the King falls in love with Jang-Geum, but refrains from making her a royal concubine because he understands that Jang-Geum's loves lies in medicine. In recognition of her achievements and to keep her by his side, the King decides to make her his personal physician, conferring on her the use of "Dae" (meaning "The Great") before her name and the position of a third rank official in a 9-rank system (where the lowest-ranking official is the ninth-rank official), also becoming part of the royal cabinet.

 

The King's decision is met with much controversy and outcry from scholars and ministers, since having a woman in the elite bureaucracy was an open defiance of the country's precedent and having a medical woman as the King's personal physician as unheard of. Jang-Geum, after understanding that she could assert the rights and capability of women by accepting the post, reluctantly does so at personal risk. Jeung-ho, in his staunch support of her promotion, is indicted for going against scholarly teachings and exiled. They are thus separated.

 

The King became critically-ill and there was little Jang-geum could do, despite her comprehensive understanding of his condition and attentive care. He could no longer be treated with acupuncture or medicine. As a last resort, she suggested surgery. The court officials were horrified at her revolutionary approach, which was unheard of and moreover, the King was considered too sacred to be allowed to bleed. Though the King believed in her, he was concerned that should the surgery fail, Jang-geum would surely be put to death. With his condition deteriorating, the King knew his end was near, but he was more worried about Jang-geum's fate. To protect her, the King sent her away against her wishes, allowing her to reunite with Jeong-ho and escape the palace. They married and live together for eight years with their daughter. All this while, Jang-geum and Jeong-ho are compelled to lead vagrant lives, as their detractors have been searching for them since King Junjong's death. However, Jang-geum continues to treat patients wherever she goes.

 

As a result, they were finally traced down and returned to the palace. Instead of being punished, both were reinstated by the Queen Dowager - formerly Queen Munjeong who favoured Jang-geum when she was a medical woman, and now wields enormous power. When she returns Jang-geum finds that all her friends now have high ranks in the palace, making the palace a much more peaceful place from the previous Choi family rule. However, Jang-geum and Jung-ho are wary of the palace politics and decide to move on. The story ends as Jang-geum successfully performs the first caesarean surgery ever in Korea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

오나라 ONARA