''Jewel in the Palace'' () is a 2003 South Korean historical drama television series directed by Lee Byung-hoon. It first aired on MBC from September 15, 2003, to March 23, 2004, where it was the top program with an average viewership rating of 45.8% and a peak of 57.1% (making it the 10th highest rated

Korean drama Korean drama (), also known as K-drama or Koreanovela, refers to Korean language, Korean-language television shows made in South Korea. These shows began to be produced around the early 1960s, but were mostly consumed domestically until the rise ...

of all time). Produced for , it was later exported to 91 countries and has earned worldwide, being known as one of the primary proponents of the

Korean Wave The Korean Wave, or ''hallyu'' (; ), is a cultural phenomenon in which the global popularity of South Korean popular culture has dramatically risen since the 1990s. Worldwide interest in Korean culture has been led primarily by the spread of K-p ...

by heightening the spread of Korean culture abroad. Starring Lee Young-ae in the title role, it tells the tale of an orphaned kitchen cook who went on to become the King's first female physician. In a time when women held little influence in society, young apprentice cook Jang-geum strives to learn the secrets of

Korean cooking Korean cuisine is the set of foods and culinary styles which are associated with Korean culture. This cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient Prehistoric Korea, agricultural and nomad ...

and

medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

to cure the King of his various ailments. It is based on the true story of Jang-geum, the first female royal

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

of the

Joseon Dynasty Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

. The main themes are her perseverance and the portrayal of traditional

Korean culture The traditional culture of Korea is the shared cultural and historical heritage of Korea before the division of Korea in 1945. Since the mid-20th century, Korea has been split between the North Korean and South Korean sovereign state, stat ...

, including

Korean royal court cuisine Korean royal court cuisine was the style of cookery within Korean cuisine traditionally consumed at the court of the Joseon Dynasty, which ruled Korea from 1392 to 1897. There has been a revival of this cookery style in the 21st century. It is sa ...

and

traditional medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) refers to the knowledge, skills, and practices rooted in the cultural beliefs of various societies, especially Indigenous groups, used for maintaining health and treatin ...

Synopsis

The story is set in Korea during the reigns of King Seongjong (1457–1494), King Yeonsan (1494–1506) and King Jungjong (1506–1544). The epilogue also spans through the reigns of King Injong (1544–1545) and King Myeongjong (1545–1567), with the last scene from March 1550. At the outset, King Seongjong has ordered the execution by poisoning of his wife, the

Deposed Queen Yun Deposed Queen Yun of the Haman Yun clan (15 July 1455 – 29 August 1482) was the second wife of Yi Hyeol, King Seongjong and the mother of Yi Yung, Prince Yeonsan. She was Queen of Joseon from 1476 until her deposition in 1479. She was an 1 ...

, mother of the crown prince (future Yeonsan-gun). After carrying out the execution, one of the royal guards, Seo Cheon-soo, is haunted by it. On his way home, he suffers an accident and is rescued by a mysterious

hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Chr ...

with a cryptic message – that his life will revolve around three women: the first he has already met, but he killed her; another he will save, but will die because of him; and the third will kill him, but will go on to save many lives. It doesn't become clear until later in the story that the three women are the poisoned deposed queen, Park Myeong-yi (Seo's eventual wife) and Jang-geum (Seo's daughter). Haunted by the curse of the executed deposed queen and his prophesied fate at the hands of the third woman, he abandons his post and also becomes a hermit, refusing to take a wife. After many years, the former king dies and the Crown Prince ascends the throne. Park Myeong-yi is a palace girl and apprentice cook of the royal kitchen. She witnesses a fellow apprentice, a girl from the powerful Choi clan named Choi Seong-geum, slip poison into the Grand Royal Queen Dowager's food. Unaware that the senior kitchen officers are part of a conspiracy against the said Queen, Myeong-yi informs them. The officers, fearful that Myeong-yi might reveal their conspiracy, attempt to murder her by framing her committing adultery with a royal guard, then executing her with poison. Myeong-yi's best friend, Han Baek-young, manages to save her by secretly diluting the poison with an antidote and leaves the unconscious Myeong-yi a letter explaining what had happened. As Seo Cheon-soo wanders through the forest, he stumbles upon the half-conscious Myeong-yi, rescues her, and the two fall in love and marry. They end up living peacefully in a remote village as lower caste commoners and raise a clever daughter named Seo Jang-geum. When Jang-geum is eight years old, King Yeongsan learns about the murder of his mother and vows revenge, seeking and killing people who were previously involved. Among them is Jang-geum's father, who so far managed to hide his identity. However, following an incident, Jang-geum accidentally causes him to be arrested (and presumably executed later on). Her mother, rushing on the way to Hanyang to visit her husband, is spotted by the Choi family and eventually killed by an arrow. Jang-geum, now an orphan, is adopted by Kang Duk-gu and Na Ju-daek, a family making a living through selling wine. Two years later, Jang-geum enters the palace after King Jungjong ascends to the throne. She is committed to enter the middle kitchen (where her mother used to cook) to uncover a letter written by her mother. During this time, she meets Lady Han and they form a mother-daughter bond. The Right State Councillor Oh Gyeom-ho (the Choi clan's ally within the Royal Cabinet) frames Lady Han and Jang-geum as traitors in league with

Jo Gwang-jo Jo Gwang-jo (, 23 August 1482 – 10 January 1520), also called by his art name Jeongam (), was a Korean Neo-Confucian scholar who pursued radical reforms during the reign of Jungjong of Joseon in the early 16th century. He was framed with charg ...

, the famous Joseon reformer. In an effort to save Jang-geum, Lady Han declares that she alone is guilty of treason. Nonetheless, both are judged guilty and sent to

Jeju Island Jeju Island (Jeju language, Jeju/) is South Korea's largest island, covering an area of , which is 1.83% of the total area of the country. Alongside outlying islands, it is part of Jeju Province and makes up the majority of the province. The i ...

to work as government slaves. On the way to Jeju, Lady Han dies from her injuries. Lady Choi replaces her as head of the royal kitchen, while Jang-geum vows revenge. Official Min Jeong-ho, who's in love with Jang-geum, follows her to Jeju Island and offers to help her escape, but she refuses since doing so would mean never being able to return to the palace to not only clear Lady Han's name, but obtain justice for her mother's death. Min Jeong-ho declares he will wait for her and help her out throughout her stay in Jeju. There, Jang-geum meets a woman named Jang-deok, a famous female doctor. Jang-deok's blunt and forthright manner at first offend her, but as time goes by, she begins to see that the female doctor is dedicated and caring. As the days go by, Jang-geum realizes that her only way back to the palace is to become a female physician, and begs Jang-deok to teach her medicine. Jang-geum's friend, Jeong Woon-baek, an eccentric royal physician, disapproves of her decision to pursue medicine in order to take revenge, but, in spite of this, she perseveres and earns herself a post as a female doctor-in-training at the palace. Here she encounters her former friend Choi Keum-young, who has been promoted to head lady of the kitchen, while the ruthlessly ambitious Lady Choi is now in charge of all the women working in the palace. Jang-geum's childhood best friend, Lee Yeun-seng, has caught the king's eye, and is now his concubine. Jang-geum endures many trials at the palace, but manages to accomplish great feats. With Jang-geum's status rising, several events ensue that lead to an investigation of the Choi clan, resulting in the prosecution of Lady Choi, her elder brother and several high-ranking officials, including the Chief State Councillor. Everyone tries to escape, but only Lady Choi manages to evade the guards. Jang-geum finds her and asks if she is willing to sacrifice her niece, Keum-young, to the authorities while she herself escapes. Having abandoned her ethics and conscience for the sake of the Choi clan a long time ago, Lady Choi is unable to respond. Torn between self-preservation and guilt, she wanders the countryside hallucinating, ends up falling off a cliff on Dongin Mountain and dies. Choi Keum-young loses her position and is exiled along with the other officials. Through her dedication, perseverance and medical skills, Jang-geum saves the royal family from re-occurring ill fortune. After giving birth to a

stillborn Stillbirth is typically defined as fetal death at or after 20 or 28 weeks of pregnancy, depending on the source. It results in a baby born without signs of life. A stillbirth can often result in the feeling of guilt or grief in the mother. T ...

child,

Queen Munjeong Queen Munjeong (; 12 December 1501 – 15 May 1565), of the Papyeong Yun clan, was a posthumous name bestowed to the third wife and queen consort of Jungjong of Joseon, Yi Yeok, King Jungjong. She was queen consort of Joseon from 1517 until he ...

remains ill. Jang-geum correctly identifies a second stillborn fetus in her womb and saves her life. She convinces the Dowager Queen to undergo medical treatment at the risk of being beheaded, and she also cures Grand Prince Gyeongwon of

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...

, which earns her the permanent gratitude of the Queen. For her achievements King Jungjong makes Jang-geum a 6th rank official and appoints her to be his personal physician, the first woman to hold such a position. The court is in uproar and the state councillors unanimously oppose the appointment on the grounds that it violates the country's constitution. When the Dowager Queen humiliates herself to express her disapproval, the King revokes his decision. She urges the King to take Jang-geum as one of his concubines. Although he likes Jang-geum, he refrains from making her one of his concubines against her will. Jang-geum contains a

small pox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living Cell (biology), cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and pla ...

epidemic, and the King finally decrees her his personal physician. She is granted the honorific ''Dae'' (meaning "The Great"), as well as the position of a third rank official. The ministers and scholars of the court bitterly accept the decree, but demand the punishment of Min Jeong-ho for supporting Jang-geum's appointment. Seeing an opportunity to separate the lovers, the King agrees and Jeong-ho is sentenced to exile. Eventually, the King's previous medical condition re-emerges. Jang-geum attempts to heal him using all the medical equipment and knowledge available at the time. The other doctors offer advice but nothing works. The king is dying. Jang-geum resorts to her last option—an experimental technique using newly "discovered"

anesthesia Anesthesia (American English) or anaesthesia (British English) is a state of controlled, temporary loss of sensation or awareness that is induced for medical or veterinary purposes. It may include some or all of analgesia (relief from or prev ...

and

surgery Surgery is a medical specialty that uses manual and instrumental techniques to diagnose or treat pathological conditions (e.g., trauma, disease, injury, malignancy), to alter bodily functions (e.g., malabsorption created by bariatric surgery s ...

. However, the King's body is considered sacred and the court unanimously opposes this new procedure, and the King decides not to allow the operation. Knowing Jang-geum's life will be in danger after his death, he grants her escape to be with Min Jeong-ho. The two of them live as

fugitive A fugitive or runaway is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from jail, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals. A fugitive from justice, also known ...

s and have a daughter, So-hoon. Eight years later, King Jungjong is dead and Grand Prince Gyeongwon has been enthroned, while his mother Queen Munjeong is now both the Royal Queen Dowager and the Regent, wielding enormous power. When she learns that Jang-geum is still in the country, she invites her and Jeong-ho to return to the palace and be reinstated to their previous positions. Jang-geum and Jeong-ho joyfully return, but decide to live outside the palace for the sake of their family. Jang-geum leaves the palace not before seeing her friends from afar. As they return to their previous routine, Jang-geum comes across a pregnant woman, and successfully uses her surgical skills to deliver the woman's baby via

Caesarean section Caesarean section, also known as C-section, cesarean, or caesarean delivery, is the Surgery, surgical procedure by which one or more babies are Childbirth, delivered through an incision in the mother's abdomen. It is often performed because va ...

. While she celebrates her success, Jeong-ho laments the repressive social climate of Korea, and its inability to accommodate a woman with ambitions.

Cast

Main characters

* Lee Young-ae as Seo Jang-geum ** Jo Jung-eun as young Seo Jang-geum An intelligent, beautiful, and introverted woman whose compassionate nature and enthusiasm allow her to stand out from the crowd. Ever since her parents died during a political massacre, she has suffered many hardships and obstacles, especially in the palace, but she overcomes them with strong determination and perseverance. Being strong-willed, Jang-geum strives to reach her goal regardless of the obstacles she is facing. It is with her extraordinary medical skills and knowledge, as well as her integrity and high

ethics Ethics is the philosophy, philosophical study of Morality, moral phenomena. Also called moral philosophy, it investigates Normativity, normative questions about what people ought to do or which behavior is morally right. Its main branches inclu ...

to only use her knowledge to heal and cure, that she becomes the first female physician to the king, and named ''Dae'' ("the Great") Jang-geum, becoming a third-ranked official, something unheard of at the time for a woman during the Joseon era. * Ji Jin-hee as Min Jeong-ho An educated, very intelligent and good-looking man, he is an outstanding

scholar A scholar is a person who is a researcher or has expertise in an academic discipline. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researcher at a university. An academic usually holds an advanced degree or a termina ...

who combines both learning and the martial arts. Jeong-ho is a judge of the ''Hang Sung Boo'', the ministry governing the affairs of the capital Hansung. Unaware of who he is, Jang-geum saves him upon being shot. They then meet again when she approaches him to borrow books. They become romantically involved as he moves to ''Nae Geum Wee'' (the Royal Military Guard) as ''Jong Sa Gwan'', a senior officer. *

Hong Ri-na Hong Ri-na (; born February 7, 1968) is a South Korean actress, perhaps best known for playing Choi Geum-young in the popular TV series ''Jewel in the Palace''. Television series *''Three Wives'' (SBS, 2004) *''Jewel in the Palace'' (MBC, 200 ...

as Choi Keum-young **

Lee Se-young Lee Se-young (; born December 20, 1992) is a South Korean actress. She debuted as a child actress in 1997 and was best known for her roles in '' Dae Jang Geum'' (2003), '' When I Turned Nine'' (2004), ''Lovely Rivals'' (2004), and ''The Wonder ...

as young Choi Keum-young Ambitious and arrogant, Choi Keum-young starts her life in the palace as the niece of the influential Lady Choi, a former friend that becomes Jang-geum's lifelong rival. Although she is part of the Choi clan, she yearns to find her own way - never really accepting the Chois' way of doing things but unable to find her own independent identity. Her intelligence and talent often put her head-to-head with Jang-geum. Eventually Lady Choi's influence and her unreciprocated attraction to Min Jeong-ho prompt her to keep mostly to the Choi clan's ways. * Im Ho as King Jungjong The 11th king of the

. Before he ascends the throne, he was known as Grand Prince Jinsung. He suffered from various illnesses, but Jang-Geum healed him for the first time. But when his illness re-emerges, Jang-Geum want to use her newly discovered method, the

anaesthesia Anesthesia (American English) or anaesthesia (British English) is a state of controlled, temporary loss of sensation or awareness that is induced for medical or veterinary purposes. It may include some or all of analgesia (relief from or prev ...

and

but because they believed that the king's body is sacred for operations, he declined it. Instead, he helped Jang-Geum and Min-Jun-Ho to escape. *

Yang Mi-kyung Yang Mi-kyung (; born July 25, 1961) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for playing the role of palace lady-in-waiting Han Baek-young in the popular period drama series '' Jewel in the Palace'' (2003). Other activities Yang was also ...

as Han Baek-young/Lady Han As one of the

sanggung was an official title of the senior 5th rank (; ), the highest attainable for '' gungnyeo'', a lady-in-waiting during the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. Female officers with the title were assigned to govern the inner affairs of the palace. When a reg ...

s working in the royal kitchen (''soorakgan''), she possesses a talent in culinary art and is able to identify the source of the ingredients in a dish. Best friend to Jang-geum's mother, she often misses and regrets not being able to save her friend. She is a rigorous, steadfast person who is not to be swayed from her purpose. Although obdurate in nature, she is actually very kind-hearted. Jang-geum's presence allows her to open up and she treats her as both a strict teacher and a kind mother figure. She also became the second mother to Yeun-Seng after Lady Jung died from illness. *

Kyeon Mi-ri Kyeon Mi-ri (; born January 27, 1965) is a South Korean actress and singer. She is best known for her role as the antagonist Lady Choi in the hit period drama ''Jewel in the Palace'' (2003). Career Kyeon Mi-ri graduated from Seoul Traditiona ...

as Choi Seong-geum/Lady Choi Choi Pan-sul's younger sister and Geum-young's aunt. With her family hierarchy and bloodline, she is expected to be the successor of the ''soorakgans highest

rank. She learned and was being taught about the delicacy of food from a young age. Arrogant and too proud, she has a fierce need to get what she wants and will stop at nothing until she gets what she wants. Sharp-minded and quick to act, she is always a step ahead of plotting against Jang-geum and Lady Han. She hasn't been nice to Jang-geum, Jang-geum's mother and Lady Han. She framed Head Lady Park Yong-Shin holding private parties to became the Head Lady and to make Keum-Young became the Head Kitchen Lady.

Supporting characters

;Early life * Park Chan-hwan as Seo Cheon-soo - Jang-geum's father and a former royal guard. *

Kim Hye-sun Kim Hye-sun (; born September 28, 1969) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her leading role in the television drama ''First Wives' Club'' (2007–2008). Career Kim Hye-sun began modeling when she was in middle school. While a ...

as Park Myeong-yi - Jang-geum's mother and a former kitchen lady. Best friend to Lady Han but she became an enemy to Lady Choi when they find out that she saw their planned conspiracy. *

Im Hyun-sik Im Hyun-sik (born December 31, 1945) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading role in the family drama ''Three Families Under One Roof'' (1986-1993), and supporting roles in the period epics '' Hur Jun'' (1999) and '' Jewel in ...

as Kang Duk-gu - Ju-Daek's husband. Jang-geum's adoptive father and a palace chef. *

Geum Bo-ra Geum Bo-ra (; born February 21, 1961), birth name Son Mi-ja (), is a South Korean actress. She made her acting debut in 1979, and won Best New Actress at the 1980 Grand Bell Awards for ''Water Spray''. She was active in Korean cinema in the 1980 ...

as Na Ju-daek - Duk-gu's wife and Jang-geum's adoptive mother. She and Duk-Gu earn a living by selling wine. ;Time as a palace chef *

Park Eun-hye Park Eun-hye (; born February 21, 1977) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for starring in ''Jewel in the Palace'', which led to her popularity in China. She also played the lead role in the Taiwanese drama, ''Silence'', starring Vic ...

as Lee Yeon-seng - Royal Consort Suk-won - Dowager Royal Noble Consort Suk-won of the Lee Clan , the 8th wife of King Jungjong - Jang-Geum's best friend. Naive, cheerful and lovely, she got the King's attention when the King saw her crying and playing the King's dog while missing her best friend Jang-Geum and Lady Han. She became the King's concubine when she became pregnant the princess to King's child (which is a princess). After King Jungjong's death, the Dowager Queen Munjeong treat her like her sister and also grant permission to her for remaining and stayed in royal harem. * Lee Ip-sae as Yoon Young-roh - niece of Yoon Mak-Gae and a loyal person to Choi family. She often supports the actions of the Choi family against Lady Han and Jang-Geum believing that their families shared the same fate. Her loyalty to the Choi clan fruits, when she became the Attendant Lady of Head Lady Choi. Her life goes to jeopardy when Lady Choi asked her to hide while the Right State Councilor asked her to reveal the story between Lady Choi and Jang-Geum in exchange of Head Lady position. * Kim So-yi as Min Gwi-yeol - the mentor of Chang-yi and second teacher to Seo Jang-geum and Lee Yeun-seng. She became Attendant Lady of Suk-Won Lee after discovering that Lee Yeun-Seng is pregnant to the King's child. She also became the Head Kitchen Lady through competition. *

Yeo Woon-kay Yeo Woon-kay (; February 25, 1940 – May 22, 2009) was a South Korean actress and television personality. She was best known for Korean films such as ''War of Money'', '' Bad Family'' and ''My Lovely Sam Soon''. Yeo began acting while in high ...

as Jung Mal-geum - Yeun-Seng's mentor and mother figure from Sauce Pantry. She became the Kitchen Head Lady and she loves singing and telling stories. Because of this, she won the King's favor. A firm believer in meritocracy and opponent to nepotism and seniority, she started the concept of competition in choosing the next Head Kitchen Lady. * Park Jung-soo as Park Yong-shin - former Head Lady and Park Yeul-Yee's adoptive mother. After Lady Han and Jang Geum thrown to Jeju Island, She kicked out in the palace after Lady Choi framed her for holding private parties. * Choi Ja-hye as Chang-yi ** Joo Da-young as young Chang-yi. Jang-Geum's and Yeun-Seng's friend who loves eating. She also became the Kitchen Lady of Yeun-Seng when the latter is became pregnant to King's child. * Jo Gyeong-hwan as Oh Gyeom-ho - The Right State Councilor, ally of the Choi family in the Royal Cabinet. * Lee Hee-do as Choi Pan-sul - a merchant brother of Lady Choi and Keum-Young's uncle. * Na Seong-gyun as Yoon Mak-gae - Young-roh's uncle and a palace guard. He owns a dancer bar where the Chois, Oh-Gyeom-Ho and their allies frequently meet. Even though he's a loyal person to Choi clan, his loyalty goes more to Oh-Gyeom-ho. * Lee Hye-sang as Jo Bang ** Kim So-young / Chae So-young as young Jo Bang The envious and bossy kitchen lady. She believes that since she is the oldest, everyone should follow and fear her. She envies Keum-Young because she always won the competition when they were younger. When they are adults, she envies Keum-Young (again) and Jang-Geum when they were chosen as apprentices of Lady Choi and Lady Han for the competition instead of her. * Shin Gook as Jang Geon - the head

Eunuch A eunuch ( , ) is a male who has been castration, castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function. The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2 ...

. Head Kitchen Lady Jung's ally to the Eunuch's Department. He's is also an ally to Lady Han & Jang Geum but his loyalty to the King tested when Lady Choi discovered that Jang-Geum stole the King's Medical Records (which is under the care of Eunuch's Department). ;Time as a medical woman * Jeon In-taek as Doctor Jeong Yoon-soo - King's Physician. When he failed to know the cause and cure to the King's illness, he resigned from his position. His life goes to jeopardy because of his knowledge about the Choi's and Right State Councilor's involvement in brimstone duck case. *

Maeng Sang-hoon Maeng Sang-hoon (born October 29, 1960) is a South Korean actor from the Sinchang Maeng clan. Filmography Television series Film References External links * * * 1960 births Living people South Korean male television ...

as Professor Jeong Woon-baek - A physician/supervisor of Royal Garden. As a supervisor of Royal Garden, he wants everyone to stop working that makes Jang-Geum disliked him at first. But later on, she realized how caring and dedicated he is. After healed by Jang-Deok on his tumor, He returned to the palace as the Queen's physician. He also promoted to Queen Dowager's physician after Physician Shin became the King's physician. *

Kim Yeo-jin Kim Yeo-jin (; born June 24, 1972) is a South Korean actress. She made her acting debut in the stage play ''What Do Women Live For'' in 1995, and has since remained active in film and television, drawing praise for her supporting roles in Im S ...

as Jang-deok - a caring and dedicated physician from Jeju and also Jang-Geum's mentor in medicine. *

Han Ji-min Han Ji-min (; born November 5, 1982) is a South Korean actress. After minor roles in ''All In (TV series), All In'' (2003) and ''Dae Jang Geum'' (2003–2004), Han had her breakout role in revenge series ''Resurrection (2005 TV series), Resurrec ...

as Shin-bi - a kind and trustworthy friend to Jang-Geum. She entered in Royal Pharmacy with Jang-Geum. She is a palace nurse to Crown Prince and Suk-Won Lee when they discovered Yeul-Yee misdiagnosed the latter. *

Lee Se-eun Lee Se-eun (; born August 31, 1980) is a South Korean actress. Lee made her acting debut in 1999, then began gaining popularity after starring in the horror film '' Bunshinsaba'' (2004). She appears in both television and film, notably ''Coma ...

as Park Yeul-Yee - A palace nurse who offered herself to Choi clan to kill Jang-Geum to gain their trust. It was revealed later that she is the adoptive daughter of the former Head Lady, Park Yong-Shin. * Lee Seung-ah as Eun-Bi - A palace nurse who previously assigned as in-charge of King's medicine until she assigned as physician lady of the Queen Dowager Jasun. * Park Eun-soo as Physician Shin Ik-Phil - a strict trainer of Jang-geum and Shin-bi when they enter the palace. He became strict to Jang-Geum not because he hates her but he want Jang-Geum to be a better physician lady. He became the Queen Dowager's physician, but she doesn't trust him at first because of the story about his patient in the past who died under his care. He promoted to King's physician when Physician Jeong Yoon-Soo resigned from his position after he failed to discover the cause and cure to the King's illness. * Yeom Hong as Bi Seon - the royal medical staff discipliner and also the assistant head of physician ladies. * Professor Lee - another one of Jang-geum and Shin-bi's trainers. He calls physician trainees to become dancers when there is a special event. He is also Queen Dowager Jasun's relative. ;Royal Women * Park Jeong-sook as

/Grand Dowager Queen Seongryeol - King Jungjong's 3rd wife, and Prince Gyeongwon's mother. * Eom Yoo-shin as Queen Dowager Jasun - King Jungjong's mother and also a relative of Professor Lee.

Soundtrack

Theme song

The theme song, Onara () is in Old Korean. This produced arguments about the lyrics and how they should be interpreted. As a result, different interpretations surfaced. Eventually the songwriter, Im Se-hyeon, revealed the lyrics. The song is in the

pansori ' () is a Korean genre of musical storytelling performed by a singer and a drummer. The term ' is a compounds of the Korean words and , the latter of which means "sound." However, ''pan'' has multiple meanings, and scholars disagree on which ...

style, a particular type of Korean music that emerged during the

and was very popular in the 19th century. It utilizes the vocals of one singer, a ''sorikkun'', and one drummer, a ''gosu'', to tell a themed story. The

refrain A refrain (from Vulgar Latin ''refringere'', "to repeat", and later from Old French ''refraindre'') is the Line (poetry)">line or lines that are repeated in poetry or in music">poetry.html" ;"title="Line (poetry)">line or lines that are repeat ...

("He-iya di-iya he-iya naranino") is called ''chu-imsae'' and, in traditional pansori, it is supplied by the drummer to give rhythm to the song in addition to the beat. ''Chuimsae'' consists of meaningless

vowel A vowel is a speech sound pronounced without any stricture in the vocal tract, forming the nucleus of a syllable. Vowels are one of the two principal classes of speech sounds, the other being the consonant. Vowels vary in quality, in loudness a ...

sounds or short words of encouragement. ''Chuimsae'' is analogous to

scat singing Originating in vocal jazz, scat singing or scatting is vocal Musical improvisation, improvisation with Non-lexical vocables in music, wordless vocables, Pseudoword#Nonsense syllables, nonsense syllables or without words at all. In scat singing, t ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

nonsense syllables such as "La, la, la," or "Shoop, shoop ba doop" in English-language popular songs.

Korean version

The end of each episode of ''Jewel in the Palace'' features "Onara" sung by three Korean children, Kim Ji-hyeon (), Baek Bo-hyeon (), Kim Seul-gi (), who were elementary students learning Korean classic music at the time. The ''Jewel in the Palace'' soundtrack album also features a slower version of the song sung by E Ahn (; his real name is Lee Dong-hee ()), a

Korean traditional music Korea has produced music () for thousands of years, into the modern day. After the division of Korea in 1945, both North and South Korea have produced their own styles of music. Traditional music () produced by Korea includes court music, folk ...

singer who graduated from the Korean classical music department at

Seoul National University Seoul National University (SNU; ) is a public university, public research university in Seoul, South Korea. It is one of the SKY (universities), SKY universities and a part of the Flagship Korean National Universities. The university's main c ...

Foreign versions

"Onara" has several other versions that were used with ''Jewel in the Palaces release outside of Korea. "Hope" (希望 ''Hèimohng'') was the version sung by

Kelly Chen Kelly Chen Wai-lam (born Vivian Chen Wai-man on 13 September 1972) is a Hong Kong singer and actress. She has been referred to as a " Diva of Asia" (). Chen has great success in the East Asian entertainment industry with nearly 20 million rec ...

Cantonese Cantonese is the traditional prestige variety of Yue Chinese, a Sinitic language belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language family. It originated in the city of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton) and its surrounding Pearl River Delta. While th ...

for the

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

release. "Baby" (娃娃 ''Wáwá'') was sung by

Angela Chang Angela Zhang Shao-han (; born January 19, 1982), also known as Angela Chang, is a Taiwanese and Canadian singer and actress. Zhang gained recognition with the Taiwanese television dramas ''My MVP Valentine'' (2002) and ''At Dolphin Bay'' (20 ...

Mandarin Chinese Mandarin ( ; zh, s=, t=, p=Guānhuà, l=Mandarin (bureaucrat), officials' speech) is the largest branch of the Sinitic languages. Mandarin varieties are spoken by 70 percent of all Chinese speakers over a large geographical area that stretch ...

for the

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

release. "Calling" (呼唤 ''Hūhuàn'') sung by

Tang Can Tang Can (; born 12 June 1975) is a Chinese singer. Biography Tang was born in Lichuan, Hubei in 1975. Since childhood she developed an interest in singing and dancing. She is a graduate of Wuhan Conservatory of Music. In 1996, she joined th ...

, and "Hope" (希望 ''Xīwàng'') sung by five winners of the Super Girl singing contest were among those used for the China release. For the Philippine release, Faith Cuneta sang an entirely different song (in contrast with her earlier work for the Philippine broadcast of "

Winter Sonata ''Winter Sonata'' () is a 2002 South Korean television drama series, starring Bae Yong-joon and Choi Ji-woo. It is the second part of the season-themed tetralogy '' Endless Love'' drama series directed by Yoon Seok-ho. Filming primarily took ...

"), titled "Pangarap na Bituin" (a remake of the

original Originality is the aspect of created or invented works that distinguish them from reproductions, clones, forgeries, or substantially derivative works. The modern idea of originality is according to some scholars tied to Romanticism, by a notion t ...

sung by the singer's 2nd-degree aunt

Sharon Cuneta Sharon Gamboa Cuneta-Pangilinan (born January 6, 1966) is a Filipino actress, singer, and television personality. Prolific in multiple fields of entertainment, she is known for playing dramatic and comedic leading roles in film and television. ...

as the theme song for her 1984 film "Bukas Luluhod Ang Mga Tala"). The

Shamrock A shamrock is a type of clover, used as a symbol of Ireland. The name ''shamrock'' comes from Irish (), which is the diminutive of the Irish word and simply means "young clover". At most times'', Shamrock'' refers to either the species ...

song "Alipin" is also used and

Regine Velasquez Regina Encarnacion "Regine" Ansong Velasquez-Alcasid ( ; born April 22, 1970) is a Filipino singer and actress. She is considered one of the most influential figures in Philippine popular culture and is known for her vocal range and beltin ...

also sings a version of this during the first re-run. In Sri Lanka, the Sinhalese version was sung by Angeline Gunathilake and written by Athula Ransirilal; it was titled "Gaha kola mal gal gesee bala sitinawa" (The trees and flowers are looking at her). A Tamil version was also released with the title "Maramilay pukkal urindu parkinrana." Local musical instruments such as the raban were used in the recording, and both songs were very popular among children.

Original soundtrack

# 고원 (高原) # 창룡 (蒼龍) # 하망연 (何茫然) Hamangyeon - feat. Safina # 오나라 II # 0815 (空八一五) # 연밥 # 덕구 # Hamangyeon feat. Safina # APNA # 다솜 # 비 (悲) # 단가 (短歌) # 연도 (烟濤) # 오나라 I # The Legend Becomes History # 자야오가 (子夜吳歌) Techno Ver. # 하망연 (何茫然) Hamangyeon-Instrumental

Awards

;2003

MBC Drama Awards The MBC Drama Awards () is an awards ceremony presented by Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) for outstanding achievements in Korean dramas aired on its network. It is held annually in December. Unlike its counterparts in KBS and SBS, MBC ...

*Grand Prize/Daesang - Lee Young-ae *Top Excellence Award, Actress - Lee Young-ae *Special Acting Award -

*Special Acting Award - Lim Hyun-sik *Best Screenplay - Kim Young-hyun ;2004

Baeksang Arts Awards The Baeksang Arts Awards (), also known as the Paeksang Arts Awards, are awards for excellence in film, television and theatre in South Korea. The awards were introduced in 1965 by Chang Key-young, the founder of the newspaper ''Hankook Ilbo'', ...

*Best Director (TV) - Lee Byung-hoon *Most Popular Actress (TV) -

Cultural impact

''Jewel in the Palace'' was part of the

East Asia East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of Economy of China, China, Economy of Ja ...

, where it gained immense popularity had a significant cultural impact.

Tourism

The

Korea Tourism Organization The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO; ) is an organization of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. It is commissioned to promote the country's tourism industry. The KTO was established in 1962 ...

promoted ''Jewel in the Palace''-oriented tourism in East Asia and the United States and the main outdoor sets built by MBC for the shooting of the drama were purchased by the South Korean government. The

Dae Jang Geum Theme Park Dae Jang Geum Theme Park () is a restored and renovated outdoor set owned by Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation where most of the Korean drama ''Dae Jang Geum'' was filmed. History The area of outdoor set is about 2,000 square meters within the MBC ...

was opened in

Yongin Yongin (; ) is a city in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, the largest in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. With a population over 1 million, the city has developed rapidly since the 21st century, recording the highest population growth of any city in th ...

Gyeonggi Province Gyeonggi Province (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Seoul, the nation's largest city and capital, is in the heart of the area but has been separately administered as a provincial-level ''special city'' since 1946. Incheon, ...

in December 2004 at the site of these sets where much of the filming occurred."Overseas Press to Participate in the Hallyu Promotion Event"
at the

website. October 10, 2005.

Korean cuisine

''Jewel in the Palace'' rekindled public interest in traditional Korean cuisine, both locally and abroad.

References in other shows

In an episode of ''

King of the Hill ''King of the Hill'' is an American animated sitcom created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels that initially aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox from January 12, 1997, to September 13, 2009, with four more episodes airing in First-run syndicati ...

'', Kahn and Minh were watching ''Jewel in the Palace'' (which is dubbed in Laotian). In episode 1 of '' Princess Hours'', Chae-gyeong's family is watching episode 30 of ''Jewel in the Palace'' (Yeon-saeng being scolded for playing with the King's puppy). In episode 32 of ''

Love Truly ''Love Truly'' (; lit. ''I Really, Really Like You'') is a 2006 South Korean television series starring Eugene, Lee Min-ki, and Ryu Jin. It aired on MBC from April 8 to August 6, 2006 on Saturdays and Sundays at 19:55 for 34 episodes. The d ...

'', Yeo Bong-soon's mother (played by

) is watching ''Jewel in the Palace.'' Geum Bo-ra played Jang-geum's adoptive mother Na Joo-daek in ''Dae Jang-geum''. In episode 9 of ''Who Are You'', there is a large ''Jewel in the Palace'' poster on the side of a building. In episode 2 of ''

Silence Silence is the absence of ambient hearing, audible sound, the emission of sounds of such low sound intensity, intensity that they do not draw attention to themselves, or the state of having ceased to produce sounds; this latter sense can be exten ...

'', a Taiwanese drama starring Park Eun-hye, ''Jewel in the Palace'' is mentioned as a famous Korean drama. In episode 8 of '' Playful Kiss'', ''Jewel in the Palace'' is mentioned despite the bad cooking skills of the main character. In the final episode of the 2007 series, '' Yi San'', a character played by Lee Ip-sae and her colleague have a moment of deja vu in the royal kitchen and come to believe that they worked there in their previous life. The same series takes place two centuries later in the Joseon Dynasty after ''Jewel in the Palace''. Lee Ip-sae also starred in ''Jewel in the Palace'' and the other series is also produced by the same company and director. In season 2, episode 9 of '' Learn Way'', Im Ho reprised his role as King Jungjong to teach

Mijoo Lee Seung-ah (; born Lee Mi-joo on September 23, 1994), known as Mijoo (), is a South Korean singer and entertainer. She debuted as a member of South Korean girl group Lovelyz under Woollim Entertainment in November 2014. Apart from her group's ...

about acting in historical dramas.

Musical theatre

In 2007, ''Jewel in the Palace'' was made into a

stage musical Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...

titled "The Great Janggeum," staged at the

Seoul Arts Center The Seoul Arts Center (SAC; ) is an arts complex in Seocho District, Seoul, South Korea. It consists of five main buildings: the Opera House, with three auditoriums; the Music Hall, with two concert halls; the Hangaram Art Museum; the Hangaram D ...

from May 26 to June 16. Following the same storyline, it condensed 54 episodes of the original TV drama into a two-and-a-half-hour-long musical which combined Western orchestral music with traditional Korean group dances. An eye-catching 400 different traditional Korean costumes enhanced the beauty and scale of the stage, coupled with beautifully detailed stage settings. Producer Han Jin-sup said the musical used music to substitute for visual effects, "rhythm and melodies that replace the enjoyment of watching beautiful sets of Korean food and also have lots of Korean colors and styles to amaze audiences". For example, when girls in the royal kitchen made dumplings to win the cooking competition, "plate dances" expressed the enthusiasm of the girls and the variety of dumplings. A total of 40 songs for the musical were arranged and written by Cho Sung-woo, a famous film composer. This was the first time that Cho had written vocal and background music for a musical, saying, "This is a great opportunity and an honor for musicians like me to have a chance to write songs for musical productions. I tried to make songs that have both the Korean and Western melodies." Asked about how to deliver a storyline that requires some knowledge of Korean history to foreign audiences, co-chairman of PMC Production Song Seung-hwan cited the familiarity of most Asian viewers with the drama's plot and said the musical will highlight "love," as a universal theme in the musical. The musical was again staged at Sungjeon Hall in Gyeonghui Palace on September 5–30, 2008. Hosted by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture and the Seoul City government, it was the foundation's idea to put the ancient palaces to added use beyond mere preservation and protection for viewing. Gyeonghui Palace was one of the "Five Grand Palaces" built in the

(1392–1897); about ten kings of the era stayed at the palace from

King Injo Injo (; 7 December 1595 – 17 June 1649), personal name Yi Jong (), was the 16th monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He was a grandson of King Seonjo and the eldest son of Prince Jeongwon. He ascended to the throne after leading a ''coup ...

to King Cheoljong. In the latter Joseon period, the palace served as a secondary palace ― a place where the king moves in times of emergency, as it was situated on the west side of Seoul. The palace was built incorporating the slanted geography of the surrounding mountain and boasts traditional beauty along with architecture rich with historical significance. The upgraded version of the musical highlighted the musical elements to better portray each character based on the more historical facts, reinterpreting the work through a new theme rather than the episodes. Keeping the colors, patterns, touches of the structures intact, the production used the natural backgrounds, traditional atmosphere and the outdoor characteristics. Audiences were surprised by the unconventional modern setting. While the story revolved around an historic palace from the

, the musical incorporated

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

, fast tempos and a dynamic staging. The actors even broke into rap, creating an imaginative, gutsy and intense show.

Spin-off

The animated rendition of ''Jewel in the Palace'', called ''

Jang Geum's Dream ''Jang Geum's Dream'' () is a South Korean animation. It is a production by Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation. The animation was done by Sonokong and Heewon Entertainment. The animation centers on Jang Geum (장금), who enters the Royal Kitchen as ...

'' is much the same story but focuses on Jang-geum in her younger years.

Sequel

In September 2012, MBC announced its plans to produce a

sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music, or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

, ''Dae Jang Geum 2''. In his opening speech at a cultural contents forum in

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

in October 2013, MBC president Kim Jong-guk reaffirmed the project, saying, "We'll push for the production in the first half of 2015 after a year of pre-production." In March 2014, writer Kim Young-hyun confirmed that the series would be aired in October 2014, and that lead actress Lee Young-ae who had previously turned down offers of a sequel since her semi-retirement from acting in 2006, is "positively considering" reprising her role. In Kim's synopsis, Jang-geum will reportedly lose her husband and her daughter will be kidnapped and taken to China, leaving Jang-geum to try to find her. The first half of the series will be about her journey to China, where the original series has a big following, and filming will take place there. But Jang-geum will return home without success, and resume her life by looking for a young successor to take under her tutelage. Jang-geum will choose to train the daughter of Geum-young, Jang-geum's rival from the first series.

International broadcast

In China,

Hunan TV Hunan Television or Hunan TV () is a state-owned provincial satellite TV station launched on September 29, 1970. It is currently China's second-most-watched television channel, second to China Central Television's CCTV-1, although Hunan TV has oc ...

purchased the rights to ''Jewel in the Palace'' for

US$ The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...

10,000 per episode following the success of the program in South Korea and Taiwan. Ratings for the program peaked at 180 million viewers and generated unprecedented profits for the station.

References

External links

''Dae Jang Geum'' official MBC website

at MBC Global Media
''Dae Jang Geum''
at

''Dae Jang Geum''
at

TVB Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB; zh, t=電視廣播有限公司) is a television broadcasting company based in Hong Kong. The company operates five free-to-air terrestrial television channels in Hong Kong, with TVB Jade as its main Canton ...