''Princess Hours'' () is a 2006 South Korean television series, starring
Yoon Eun-hye,
Ju Ji-hoon,
Kim Jeong-hoon and
Song Ji-hyo. It is based on Korean
manhwa
Manhwa () is the general Korean term for comics and print cartoons. Outside Korea, the term usually refers to Korean comics.
Modern Manhwa has extended its reach to many other countries. These comics have branched outside of Korea by acce ...
''
Goong'' by . It aired on
MBC from January 11 to March 30, 2006, on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 24 episodes.
The show was the tenth most popular drama of 2006, with a peak rating of 28.3%. It also became a hit across Asia, contributing to 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 ...
. Due to its success, a spin-off series, ''
Prince Hours'', was broadcast in 2007.
Synopsis
The show is set in an alternate, 21st-century Korea which has retained its
monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, reigns as head of state for the rest of their life, or until abdication. The extent of the authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutio ...
and imperial family since 1945. The series focuses on the lives of Crown Prince Lee Shin of Korea, and his new bride, Chae-kyeong.
The series starts off with the news that Shin's father, Emperor Lee Hyeon of Korea, is seriously ill. There is a grim outlook on the Emperor's health, driving the imperial family to find Shin a suitable consort that will allow him to ascend to the throne if the situation requires. Despite being in love with the ambitious and talented ballerina Hyo-rin (whom he initially proposed to and was rejected), Prince Shin eventually marries a commoner to whom he was betrothed by his grandfather, the late Emperor Seongjo, in an agreement with the girl's grandfather. His new wife is the headstrong yet lovable Chae-kyeong, and despite initially feeling nothing for each other, love eventually blossoms between the couple.
Matters are further complicated with the return of Lee Yul and his mother, Lady Hwa-young, who was once Crown Princess before the death of her husband, the late Crown Prince Lee Soo, and older brother of the reigning Emperor. Yul and his mother were driven out of the palace some time after the death of his father, and it is revealed that this was because the Emperor discovered an affair between Lady Hwa-young and the current Emperor, who is his father's younger brother. Lady Hwa-young has returned to restore her son's place in the line of succession to the throne, which she believes remains rightfully his. A series of events befalls the palace with the schemes Yul's mother carries out, and these are further intensified by the various scandals involving the imperial family. Shin initially has conflicting emotions for his old flame, Hyo-rin, which complicates matters, while Yul himself develops feelings for Chae-kyeong. Things get out of hand and the imperial family takes matters into their own hands.
["Princess Hours"]
''Korea Tourism''. Retrieved November 19, 2011
Cast
Main
*
Yoon Eun-hye as Shin Chae-kyeong
:A normal high school girl, who has an interest in drawing and art. Though seemingly immature, she is kind-hearted and honest. She is betrothed to Crown Prince Lee Shin, who attends the same high school as her, by the late Emperor Seongjo of Korea, who was best friends with her grandfather. Though she was initially annoyed by her seemingly unemotional new husband, Chae-kyeong gradually falls in love with him, not knowing that he harbours similar feelings. She sees Lee Yul as a close friend. At the end of the series, is revealed that Chae-kyeong is pregnant with Lee Shin's heir.
*
Ju Ji-hoon as Crown Prince Lee Shin
:A smug, indifferent and insensitive man, who is actually lonely on the inside. After getting rejected by his girlfriend Min Hyo-rin, he decides to proceed with his arranged marriage to Shin Chae-kyeong. Though he was initially annoyed by her naivete and enthusiasm, he gradually begins to open his heart to her. He owns a
teddy bear
A teddy bear, or simply a teddy, is a stuffed toy in the form of a bear. The teddy bear was named by Morris Michtom after the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt; it was developed apparently simultaneously in the first deca ...
called Alfred, the only 'companion' that allows him to let his guard down, and which serves as a focal point throughout the series. He quickly becomes rivals with Prince Lee Yul, who not only fights for the throne but also Chae-kyung's affection.
*
Kim Jeong-hoon as Prince Lee Yul
:The son of Crown Prince Soo. After his father's death, he was exiled to the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
with his mother, Lady Hwa-young. After returning to Korea, he fell in love with Shin Chae-kyeong, whom was initially betrothed to him. A kind-hearted and gentle person, Yul was not interested in fighting for the throne. He is best friends with
Prince William
William, Prince of Wales (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982), is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales.
William was born during the reign of his p ...
.
*
Song Ji-hyo as Min Hyo-rin
:A talented and gifted
ballet dancer
A ballet dancer is a person who practices the Art (skill), art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet. They rely on years of extensive training and proper technique to become a part of a professional ballet company. B ...
. She is Shin's girlfriend, but rejected his proposal as she did not wish to give up on her dreams of becoming a star ballerina. When she sees Chae-kyeong and Shin's wedding and how much Chae-kyeong is loved by the people (similar to the rapport of
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997), was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William, ...
), she regrets her hasty decision, and does everything to win Shin back, including engineering a "chance" meeting in
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
. She ends up hurting herself, driving her to attempted suicide by overdosing on pills. She later recognises that Shin does truly love Chae-kyeong, and ultimately concedes and instead decides to concentrate on her career as a
ballerina.
Supporting
*
Kim Hye-ja as the Dowager Empress/"''Tae Hoo mama''"
* Park Chan-hwan as Emperor Lee Hyeon of Korea
*
Shim Hye-jin as Lady Hwa-young
:Yul's mother, and the former Crown Princess.
*
Yoon Yoo-sun as the Empress Consort/"''Wang Hoo mama''"
*
Lee Yoon-ji as Princess Hye-myung
*
Kang Nam-gil as Chae-kyeong's father
*
Im Ye-jin as Chae-kyeong's mother
*
Kim Seok as Shin Chae-joon
*
Yeojin Jeon as Lee Kang-hyun
* Nah Eun-kyeong as Kim Soon-young
* Dan Ji as Yoon Hee-soong
* Choi Seong-joon as Kang-in
* Lee Yong-joo as Jang-kyung
* Uhm Seong-mo as Ryu-hwan
*
Lee Ho-jae as Gong Nae-kwan
* Jeon Su-yeon as Choi Sang Gung
*
Song Seung-hwan as Emperor
*
Kim Sang-joong as Crown Prince Lee Soo, Yul's late father
*
Choi Bool-am as Emperor Seongjo, Shin and Yul's late grandfather and father of Crown Prince Lee Soo and Emperor Lee Hyeon.
Original soundtrack
Ratings
Awards
*2006 1st
Seoul International Drama Awards
Seoul International Drama Awards (), simply known as SDA, is an annual award ceremony based in Seoul, South Korea which honors excellence in television drama
In film and television show, television, drama is a category or genre of narrat ...
: Best Art Director (Min Eon-ok)
*2006
MBC Drama Awards: Best New Actor (
Ju Ji-hoon)
*2006
MBC Drama Awards: Best New Actress (
Yoon Eun-hye)
International release
DVD
The US DVD release by
YA Entertainment uses the title ''Palace''.
Remakes and spin-offs
''Prince Hours''
A spin-off series, ''Goong S'' or ''
Prince Hours'', revolves around a young worker at a Chinese restaurant who suddenly discovers that he is a member of the imperial family and subsequently enters the palace. Hwang mentioned that he would be looking for Shin Chae-kyeong's male counterpart, of sorts. This spinoff has no relation to the first season, and had a new cast and plot.
In October 2006,
Korean pop star
Se7en was chosen to play the leading role in the spinoff. He will play the character of "Yi Hoo". The rest of the main cast are
Huh E-jae (who plays the female protagonist Yang Soon-ae),
Kang Doo (who plays Yi Joon), and
Park Shin-hye (who plays Shin Sae-ryung). Many of the supporting cast, who played minor characters, reprised their roles. Filming started in November 2006.
The name for the spin-off changed from ''Goong 2'' to ''
Prince Hours – '' (''궁 S'') due to copyright infringement problems. Filming continued despite Group 8 facing lawsuits due to the unlawful use of ''Goong'' in the title. However, MBC has looked into this issue with Eight Peaks and have stated that the channel station and original production company both own the rights of the name. ''Goong S'' will still be used for this season, with the subtitle of "''Prince Who''". ''Goong S'' was broadcast from January 10 to March 15, 2007, to moderate success.
''Goong: The Musical''
This drama was later adapted into a musical titled ''Goong: The Musical'' (). Producer Song Byung-joon, CEO of production company Group Eight, collaborated with the drama's screenwriter In Eun-ah for the stage rendition, and also brought in theater director Kim Jae-sung. The creative team constructed flamboyant stage sets, which were visualized through digital devices to show off the dramatic effects and fantasies on stage. A variety of music genres from traditional court music, classics, hip-hop and jazz was used, along with varying dance styles such as ballet, court dances and b-boy.

When the musical debuted at the Yong Theater at the
National Museum of Korea
The National Museum of Korea () is the flagship museum of Korean history and Korean art, art in South Korea. Since its establishment in 1945, the museum has been committed to various studies and research activities in the fields of archaeology ...
in September 2010, the lead role of Crown Prince Lee Shin was played by
U-Know Yunho of
TVXQ
TVXQ (stylized as TVXQ!; , ), known as Tohoshinki in Japan, is a South Korean pop duo formed by SM Entertainment, composed of U-Know Yunho and Max Changmin.
Originally a five-member boy band which also consisted of members Kim Jae-joong, Hero ...
.
Kim Kyu-jong of
SS501
SS501 (currently promoting as Five O One) is a South Korean boy band consisting of five members: Kim Hyun-joong, Heo Young-saeng, Kim Kyu-jong, Park Jung-min (singer), Park Jung-min and Kim Hyung-jun. They debuted in 2005 with the Extended play, ...
played Shin during the musical's run at the
Minami-za Kabuki Theater in
Kyoto
Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...
,
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
in June–July 2011, and
Kangin of
Super Junior alternated with Sungmo of
Supernova
A supernova (: supernovae or supernovas) is a powerful and luminous explosion of a star. A supernova occurs during the last stellar evolution, evolutionary stages of a massive star, or when a white dwarf is triggered into runaway nuclear fusion ...
to take over the role at the Gotanda U-Port Hall in
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, Japan in September 2012.
In 2014,
Shinee
Shinee ( ; ; ; stylized as SHINee) is a South Korean boy band formed by SM Entertainment in 2008. The group consists of four members: Onew, Key (entertainer), Key, Choi Min-ho, Minho, and Taemin. Originally a five-piece band, Jonghyun died on ...
's
Taemin,
ZE:A's Kim Dongjun,
U-KISS Soohyun and
Hoon alternately played the part of Prince Lee Shin in the Japan run of Goong held from May 10 to 24 (25 stages) in
Akasaka ACT Theater,
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
,
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
.
Remakes
In 2017, ''Princess Hours Thailand'' (Thai title: ''รักวุ่นๆ เจ้าหญิงจอมจุ้น'') is broadcast on
True4U. The starring is
Ungsumalynn Sirapatsakmetha as Khaning and Sattaphong Phiangphor as Crown Prince Inn.
On March 5, 2021, Group 8 has been announced that the drama will have its second Korean adaptation.
See also
*
Korean royalty
References
External links
''Princess Hours'' official MBC website
at MBC Global Media
*
*
''Goong: Musical'' official website{{in lang, ko
2006 South Korean television series debuts
2006 South Korean television series endings
Alternate history television series
Korean-language television shows
MBC TV television dramas
South Korean alternate history
South Korean romantic comedy television series
South Korean teen dramas
Television shows based on manhwa
Television shows set in Bangkok
Television series set in the 21st century
Television series about princesses
South Korean high school television series
South Korean television series remade in other languages