''Splendid Politics'' () is a 2015

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

starring

Cha Seung-won Cha Seung-won (born June 7, 1970) is a South Korean actor, who began his career as an in-demand fashion model in the 1990s. Cha achieved stardom through the hit comedy films '' Kick the Moon'' (2001), '' Jail Breakers'' (2002), '' My Teacher, Mr ...

Lee Yeon-hee Lee Yeon-hee (born January 9, 1988) is a South Korean actress. She is most known for her work in the television series '' East of Eden'' (2008), ''Phantom'' (2012), '' Miss Korea'' (2013), '' The Package'' (2017); and in the films '' A Milliona ...

Kim Jaewon Kim JaewonThe actor indicates a preference of spelling his name "Jaewon" (without a space or hyphen) on hiofficial website (born 18 February 1981) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for the television dramas ''Romance'' (2002), '' Listen t ...

Seo Kang-joon Seo Kang-joon (born Lee Seung-hwan on October 12, 1993) is a South Korean actor and singer who is a member of the group 5urprise. He gained recognition with his role in the television series '' Cheese in the Trap'' (2016) and has since starred ...

, Han Joo-wan and

Jo Sung-ha Jo Sung-ha (; born August 8, 1966) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his supporting roles in '' The Yellow Sea'' (2010), '' Helpless'' (2012), and ''Korean Peninsula Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in Eas ...

. It aired on MBC from April 13 to September 29, 2015 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 22:00 for 50 episodes. The

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

title ''Hwajeong'' is a shortened version of ''Hwaryeohan Jeongchi'' (literally "Splendid Politics").

Plot

Prince Gwanghae (portrayed by

), son of a concubine, usurps the

Joseon Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...

throne from the direct bloodline of his father, King Seonjo (portrayed by

Park Yeong-gyu Park Yeong-gyu (born 28 October 1953) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in ''Attack the Gas Station ''Attack the Gas Station!'' ( ko, 주유소 습격 사건) is a 1999 Korean crime-comedy film directed by Kim Sang-jin ...

). After her younger brother,

Grand Prince Yeongchang Grand Prince Yeongchang (12 April 1606 – 19 March 1614, personal name Yi Ui) was a Joseon royal prince as the only legitimate son of King Seonjo, from Queen Inmok who was born when his father was already 55 years old. Due to this, Yeonguijeong R ...

(portrayed by

Jeon Jin-seo Jeon may refer to: * Jeon (Korean surname) * Jeon (food), a Korean pancake * Jeon or chŏn, a subunit of various currencies of the Korean peninsula, including: ** North Korean won ** South Korean won (1945–1953) ** The former Korean won ** The for ...

), is executed,

Princess Jeongmyeong Princess Jeongmyeong (27 June 1603 – 8 September 1685) was a Joseon Royal Princess as the tenth daughter of King Seonjo, from Queen Inmok. During her older half-brother's reign, she suffered hardships, and her title was revoked, but later it w ...

(portrayed by

), who managed to flee the palace during the massacre, starts living as a commoner disguised as a man while plotting her revenge.

Cast

Main

as Yi Hon, Prince Gwanghae **

Lee Tae-hwan Lee Tae-hwan (; born February 21, 1995) is a South Korean actor, model and singer. Since his acting debut in 2013, he has starred in television dramas and web series, notably '' Pride and Prejudice'' (2014) and '' W''. He is a member of 5urpris ...

as young Yi Hon *

**Jung Chan-bi as young Princess Jeongmyeong ** Heo Jung-eun as child Princess Jeongmyeong *

Kim Jae-won Kim JaewonThe actor indicates a preference of spelling his name "Jaewon" (without a space or hyphen) on hiofficial website (born 18 February 1981) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for the Korean drama, television dramas ''Romance (2002 T ...

Prince Neungyang Injo of Joseon (7 December 1595 – 17 June 1649), born Yi Jong, was the sixteenth ruler of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He was the grandson of King Seonjo and son of Prince Jeongwon. He was the king during the Later Jin invasion of Joseon, in ...

, later King Injo *

as Hong Joo-won **

Yoon Chan-young Yoon Chan-young (born April 25, 2001) is a South Korean actor. He began his career as a child actor and gained wider recognition for his appearance and fame in the 2022 Netflix series, ''All of Us Are Dead ''All of Us Are Dead'' () is a S ...

as young Hong Joo-won **

Choi Kwon-soo Choi Kwon-soo (born October 5, 2004) is a South Korean actor. He began his career as a child actor The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in movies or television. An adult who began their act ...

as child Hong Joo-won * Han Joo-wan as Kang In-woo **

Ahn Do-gyu Ahn Do-gyu (born September 28, 2000) is a South Korean actor. Filmography Television series Web series Films Theater Awards and nominations References External links * * * 2000 births Living people South Korean male fil ...

as young Kang In-woo **Lee Tae-woo as child Kang In-woo *

as Kang Joo-sun, Kang In-woo's father

Supporting

Royal Household

as King Seonjo *

Shin Eun-jung Shin Eun-jung (born January 3, 1974) is a South Korean actress. She has played supporting roles in television dramas such as '' The Legend'' (2007), '' East of Eden'' (2008) and ''Faith Faith, derived from Latin ''fides'' and Old French ''fe ...

Queen Inmok Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

Choi Jong-hwan Choi Jong-hwan (; born September 24, 1964) is a South Korean actor. Choi won Producer's Award for his role in '' Gyebaek'' and ''The Duo'' at the MBC Drama Awards The MBC Drama Awards () is an awards ceremony presented by Munhwa Broadcasti ...

as Prince Imhae *

Jang Seung-jo Jang Hyun Deok (장현덕), known professionally as Jang Seung Jo is a South Korean actor, known for his roles in ''Money Flower'' (2017), ''Familiar Wife'' (2018) and ''Encounter'' (2018). In recent years, Jang also starred in several other dra ...

Prince Jeongwon Wonjong of Joseon or Prince Jeongwon (2 August 1580 – 2 February 1619) was a prince during the Joseon dynasty. He was a son by a concubine to the Joseon dynasty's 14th monarch, king Seonjo, and half brother of king Gwanghaegun and father of ...

, Prince Neungyang's father *Kim Gyu-sun as Princess Jeonghye *Jeon Jin-seo as

*Lee Seung-ah as Queen Inryeol *

Baek Sung-hyun Baek Sung-hyun (; born January 30, 1989) is a South Korean actor. Career Baek Sung-hyun made his acting debut in the 1994 film ''I Wish for What Is Forbidden to Me'' when he was five years old. The child actor practically grew up onscreen, pla ...

Crown Prince Sohyeon Crown Prince Sohyeon (소현세자, 昭顯世子, 5 February 1612 – 21 May 1645) was the first son of King Injo of Joseon Dynasty. Sohyeon was a hostage in the Manchu court at Shenyang, by the terms of the peace treaty concluded after War ...

** Shin Ki-joon as child Crown Prince Sohyeon * Kim Hee-jung as

Crown Princess Minhoe Crown Princess Minhoe of the Geumcheon Kang clan (Hangul: 민회빈 강씨, Hanja: 愍懷嬪姜氏; 8 April 1611 - 30 April 1646), also known as Crown Princess Consort Sohyeon (), was the wife of Crown Prince Sohyeon, the son of Injo of Joseon, K ...

Lee Tae-ri Lee Tae-ri () (born Lee Min-ho; June 28, 1993) is a South Korean actor. He is well-known for his role as young Yang Myung in ''Moon Embracing the Sun'' (2012), Song Man-bo in ''Rooftop Prince'' (2012), Jung Joo-hwan in '' The Beauty Inside'' (20 ...

as Grand Prince Bongrim, later King Hyojong **Song Jun-hee as child Grand Prince Bongrim * Kim Min-seo as

Jo Yeo-jeong Cho Yeo-jeong (born February 10, 1981) is a South Korean actress. She is best known internationally for her role in the film ''Parasite'' (2019), which won four Academy Awards and became the first non-English language film to win the award for Be ...

/ Royal Consort So-yong of the Okcheon Jo clan *Choi Woo-jin as Yi Jing, Prince Sungseon

Northern Faction (Gwanghae Group)

* Jung Woong-in as Lee Yi-cheom * Kim Yeo-jin as Court Lady Kim Gae-shi ** Jo Jung-eun as young Kim Gae-shi ** Shin Rin-ah as child Kim Gae-shi *Han Myung-koo as Chung In-hong *Yoo Seung-mok as Yoo Hee-boon *Jung Kyu-soo as Lee Choong *Lee Jae-gu as the Chief Eunuch

Western Faction (Injo Group)

* Jo Min-ki as

Kim Ja-jeom Kim Ja-jeom (; 1588 – January 27, 1652) was a Korean scholar-official of the Joseon dynasty period and Ming-Qing transition. He was one of the disciples of Seong Hon and came from the Andong Kim clan. He was Joseon's Chief State Councillo ...

* Park Jun-gyu as Kim Ryu *

Jang Gwang Jang Gwang (born January 5, 1952) is a South Korean actor in film and television. Filmography Film * ''Taste of Horror – Gym for Residents'' (TBA) * '' Air Murder'' (2022) * '' Sinkhole (2021) * ''White Day: Broken Barrier'' (2021) * ...

as Yi Gwi *Kim Hyung-beom as Kim Kyung-jing, Kim Ryu's son *

Lee Seung-hyo Lee Seung Hyo (; born 5 May 1980), is a South Korean actor. He debuted as an actor in 2006. He rose to fame as Kim Alcheon in '' Queen Seon Deok''. Biography He had military service as a sniper in Joint Security Area (JSA) from December 2000 u ...

as Lee Si-baek *Kim Seo-kyung as Lee Si-bang *Jung Wook as a State Ceremony Eunuch

People around Princess Jeongmyeong

* Im Ho as Choi Myung-gil * Lee Jae-yong as Kim Sang-hun *

Kim Chang-wan Kim Chang Wan (born February 22, 1954) is a South Korean singer, composer, musician, actor, host, radio DJ and writer. Career Sanulrim Kim Chang-wan, along with his younger brothers Kim Chang-hoon and Kim Chang-ik, began composing music d ...

as Lee Won-ik *Kim Seung-wook as Lee Hang-bok *

Um Hyo-sup Um Hyo-sup (born October 24, 1966) is a South Korean actor. Um mostly plays supporting roles in films and television dramas Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed i ...

as Hong Yeong, Hong Joo-won's father *Kim Young-im as Court Lady Jung *

Gong Myung Gong Myung (born Kim Dong-hyun on May 26, 1994) is a South Korean actor. He is a member of 5urprise. He is known for his roles in the television series ''The Bride of Habaek'' (2017), ''Revolutionary Love'' (2017), ''Be Melodramatic'' (2019), and ...

as Ja-gyung ** Kang Chan-hee as young Ja-gyung

Other subordinates

Ahn Nae-sang Ahn Nae-sang (born December 25, 1964) is a South Korean actor. He began his career on the stage, and in 1994 made his film debut in the Bong Joon-ho short film ''Baeksekin'' ("White Man" or "White-collar worker"), followed by Jang Sun-woo's ''B ...

Heo Gyun Heo Gyun (Hangul: ; Hanja: , 10 December 1569 – 12 October 1618) was a Korean novelist, poet, and politician during the Joseon period. He was also known by his pennames, Gyosan (교산 蛟山) and Seongso (성소 惺所). Life Heo Gyun was bo ...

* Lee Sung-min as Lee Duk-hyung **Nam Da-reum as young Duk-hyung *

Park Ji-il Park Ji-il (Korean: 박지일, born September 1960) is a South Korean theatre, film and television actor. He is known for his supporting roles in various TV series and films. His better known works are: 2011 TV series '' The Thorn Birds'', 2013 ...

as Kim Je-nam,

's father * Jung Hae-kyun as Kang Hong-rib

Cameo

Park Won-sang Park Won-sang (born January 20, 1970) is a South Korean actor. Filmography Film Television Theater Ambassadorship *Ambassador for 1st Democratization Movement Memorial Park Joint Memorial Cultural Festival (2022) References External ...

as Jang Bong-soo * Kim Kwang-kyu as Yi Yeong-bu * Kwak Dong-yeon as Yi Ui-rip *Jo Jae-ryong as Bang-Geun *

Lee Seung-hyung Lee Seung-hyung is a South Korean actor. He is best known as a supporting actor in television dramas, notably in ''Brilliant Legacy'' (2009) and ''Prosecutor Princess ''Prosecutor Princess'' () is a 2010 South Korean television series starring ...

as Yi-seo * Kim Hyun as Court Lady Inspector *

Hwang Young-hee Hwang Young-hee is a South Korean actress and model. She is known for her roles in dramas, '' While You Were Sleeping'', ''My Healing Love'', and ''Nokdu Flower''. She also appeared in movies such as '' The Witness'', ''Stray Dogs'', '' May 18' ...

as Ok-joo *Baek Su-ryeon as Soo Ryun-gae *Lee Jae-gu * Kim Ki-bang as Gu-bok *

Kim Kyu-chul Kim Kyu-chul (born April 6, 1960) is a South Korean actor. Kim spent more than a decade as a stage actor before he made his onscreen breakthrough in 1993 with Im Kwon-taek's '' Seopyeonje'', considered one of the classics of Korean cinema. Kim ...

Kang Shin-il Kang Shin-il (born November 26, 1960) is a South Korean actor. Kang graduated from Kyung Hee University with a degree in electronic engineering, but he soon put aside his studies and spent most of his time in Daehangno, Seoul's theater district ...

* Hyun Seung-min as Eun-seol *Kang Dae-hyun as Su-Deok *Kang Moon-young as Lady Yoon, Kang Joo-sun's wife *Kim So-yi as Court Lady Choi *Baek Soo-ryun as Soo Ryun-gae * Jang Hyuk-jin as Maruno *Jung Sung-woon as Hong Taiji *Kim Joon-bae as Yong Gol-dae

Ratings

In the table below, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

External links

''Splendid Politics'' official MBC website
* *

at MBC Global Media {{Works by Kim Jong-hak Production 2015 South Korean television series debuts 2015 South Korean television series endings MBC TV television dramas South Korean historical television series Television series by Kim Jong-hak Production Television series set in the Joseon dynasty