Alternative title : "Lee San, Wind of the Palace"
76 episodes
Synopsis
Lee Byeong-hoon, the director of the hit TV series "The Jewel in the Palace" ("Dae Jang Geum"), will direct this new period drama.
In the late 18th century, Lee San became the 22nd kind of the Joseon Dynasty!
It was the most tumultuous times ever seen in the 500-year-old Joseon monarchy!
He was an open-minded, wise king who championed democratic values.
The stories of his glorious triumphs, ordeals, regrets, and historical achievements are shown in this TV drama.
A story about Lee San’s life
The politics of Lee San (King Jung-jo)
He was a natural leader who ended vicious partisan politics and revived the economy with his extensive knowledge of the market. He created a strong paradigm in the 18th century and ruled with the kingdom wisely!
This biopic drama covers his dramatic life and shows the achievements of the Silhak scholars and outstanding officials who rebuilt the kingdom’s power.
The high point of the arts in the late Joseon Dynasty.
Hwaseong Fortress was a remarkable architectural achievement during this period and western knowledge began to seep into the kingdom. Brilliant individuals such as Park Ji-won, Lee Ick, Jung Yak-yong, Kim Hong-do, Shin Yoon-bok, and others are introduced in this TV drama as well.
For the first time, the art workshop of the palace will be shown along with the Aekjung office and Seja Ikwiesa. There were 10 failed assassination attempts made during this period alone in the 500-year history of the Joseon Kingdom and they will be depicted as well.
Economic turning point in the 18th century
As family industries began to be replaced with a trading economy, the 18th century was a turning point for the economy-!
The commercial trade of the times will be depicted realistically and the trading organization that Song-yeon leads is where the latter Joseon Dynasty’s economy originated from. The special Joseon Dynasty products that were made under the guidance of Song-yeon were exported to the China’s Ching Dynasty.
In addition, the 30-year romance between the leading female character Song-yeon (Eubin Sung) and King Jung-jo will also be a main theme in the drama.
The reinforcement of the army and military research
In the late 18th century, western technology began to seep into the kingdom and many political factions that opposed the king tried to fan the flames by starting anti-government movements. This led King Jung-jo to take a strong interest in national security and a military buildup. This is when the king reformed the army and began to beef up military research. One accomplishment in this era was the publication of the Muyedobotongji, Joseon dynasty’s first martial arts textbook to ever exist.
Starring
Lee San | actor Lee Seo-jin
A wise king who created a new age of rising prosperity and power in the Joseon Dynasty. A wise ruler
The 22nd king of the Joseon Dynasty
When he was at the tender age of 11, he witnessed the slow execution of his father, Prince Sado. But he grew up as a gentle boy with a strong will!
He is smart like his grandfather, King Young-jo but he has a benevolent personality that makes him different.
He likes reading to expand his knowledge but he is also well trained in weaponry and combat.
His grandfather King Young-jo constantly tests his abilities and so he receives help from Song-yeon, eunuch Nam Sa-cho, bodyguard Dae-soo, and painter Kim Hong-do to pass them. During his short reign that spanned 24 years, he rejuvenated culture and arts and based his rule on a humanistic philosophy. He left many great achievements in politics, economics, and the arts.
Sung Song-yeon - The royal concubine who King Jung-jo loved with all his heart | Actress Han Ji-min
King Jung-jo’s royal concubine. Eubin Sung (royal family)
When she was a young concubine at the age of 11, she met Lee San for the first time at Hwiryeong Pavilion in Changdeok Palace a few days before Prince Sado was executed. She likes painting and has quite a talent in the arts since her father is also a painter. She works as an assistant at the art workshop in the palace and through the help of a relative she was able to become a young palace concubine. On her first day in the palace, she meets Lee San and they feel a connection. After meeting Lee San, she thinks about him every day and after working at the art workshop for another 10 years as a damo, she finally gets to meet Lee San again. Although she is aware that Dae-soo is in love with her, she ignores him and stays blissfully in love with Lee San (King Jung-jo). She finally becomes the royal concubine of King Jung-jo and given the title of a royal family member (Eubin Sung) when she gives birth to his son, Prince Moon-hyo.
King Young-jo - Strong leadership | actor Lee Soon-jae
He is the father of Prince Sado and Lee San (King Jung-jo) is his grandson.
As a perfectionist, he has a keen intelligence and is well informed on a range of topics.
He has a quick temper and always walks at a quick pace even when there is no need to hurry. He regrets ordering the execution of his own son who was killed a slow death while locked inside a small wooden rice chest with little air to breathe. He loves his grandson but he uses a tough love approach in grooming him to become the next king.
Jung Hoo-gyeom - King Jung-jo’s archenemy | actor Jo Yeon-woo
With a sharp mind and natural political skills, he endears himself to Princess Hwa-wan and becomes her adopted son. He looks gentle on the surface but has a cold, calculating personality. With high ambitions, he passed the state examination at the age of 18 with the highest score and at the age of 19, he was given the high-ranking government position of Saheonbu Jipyeong, which is a Jung 5-pum rank. At the age of 20, he was promoted again to the position of Dangsangwang Seungji. He was the youngest person to ever hold such a rank. As a trusted royal subject of King Young-jo, he becomes an assistant to Nobleman Choi. He strongly objects in making Lee San the proxy of King Young-jo and forges the old king’s will to weaken Lee San, who is set to become the next king. He becomes the archenemy of Lee San (King Jung-jo) until Lee San dies under mysterious circumstances.
Park Dae-soo - King Jung-jo’s personal guard | actor Lee Jong-soo
He was a young boy when he first met King Jung-jo, who was a young prince at the time, and made a vow to protect him for the rest of his life. He served the king for over 30 years. He is a man of few words and when he makes up his mind, he will become obsessed with the task until he completes it. As a charismatic man, he later becomes the naegeum commander of the Geumgun and closely guards King Jung-jo. Together with Army Commander Baek Dong-soo, he pens the book Muyedobotongji, the first martial arts textbook ever published in the Joseon Dynasty. He has a crush on Song-yeon but cannot help but watch her from a distance since she is the royal concubine of King Jung-jo.
Princess Hwa-wan - The daughter of King Young-jo. King Jung-jo’s aunt | actress Sung Hyun-ah
A beautiful seductress
She is a crafty person who breaks the rules at will. She looks down upon others and has a difficult personality but King Young-jo is very fond of her. This emboldens her to expand her powers in the kingdom.
She is one of the key people who orchestrated the execution of Prince Sado.
After her husband’s death, she adopted Jung Hoo-gyeom and grooms him as her heir. To prevent Lee San from being crowned as the next king, she joins forces with Queen Moon Sook-eui, who is the wife of Prince Jung-soon, and leads the effort to banish him from the palace.
Queen Hyo-eui - King Jung-jo’s wife | actress Park Eun-hye
At the age of 10, she was betrothed to Lee San and became his queen when Lee San is later crowned as the 22nd king of the Joseon Dynasty.
She has a calm and gentle personality.
She is jealous of the relationship that Song-yeon has with Lee San but she treats the nice Song-yeon without any malice. She thwarts the plot to kill Hong Kuk-young and promotes Song-yeon as a royal concubine after she saves her life. She is unable to bear any children and lives a lonely life because of that. She has a fallout with Hong Kuk-young and plays a key role in ousting him from power.
Episode guide
Episode 1
The royal palace is embroiled in political infighting. King Young-jo slowly
executes
his own son, Crown Prince Sado (actor Lee Chang-hoon) by locking him up in a
small rice chest for unknown reasons. San (actor Park Ji-bin, ? actor Lee Seo-jin),
Crown Prince Sado’s son, sneaks into Shimin Palace in the middle of the night
to
visit his father who is slowly dying from starvation.
Meanwhile, the young Song-yeon (actress Lee Han-na, ? actress Han Ji-min)
whose father was a former royal painter is brought to the palace through family
connections where she becomes a young court lady. In the still of the night,
Song-
yeon is forced to go to the palace kitchen and bring back a snack for the older
court
girls but gets lost on her way there.
Dae-soo (actor Kwon Oh-min, ? actor Lee Jong-soo) is one of the trainees who
will become a palace official and eunuch but he tries to run away in the middle
of
the night because he doesn’t want to be castrated. San, Song-yeon, and Dae-soo
wander the palace with different purposes and meet together by fate.
Episode 2
San (actor Park Ji-bin, ? actor Lee Seo-jin) discovers the painting that his
father,
Crown Prince Sado (actor Lee Chang-hoon), told him to locate inside the Hwagak
chest and then show to King Young-jo (actor Lee Sun-jae). San seeks out Song-
yeon (actress Lee Han-na, ? actress Han Ji-min) and tells her that he found
the
painting that will save his father and Dae-soo. He then asks her for directions
to find
Woonjongga where his grandfather is staying. Song-yeon tells San that he can
just
ask one of his servants to guide him to Woonjongga but he tells her that he
doesn’t
have anyone to turn to. She feels sorry for San.
Risking her life, Song-yeon offers to go to Woonjongga with San. As San and
Princess Hye-bin (actress Gyeon Mi-ri) head to Woonjongga, Song-yeon hides in
one of the carriages. When San’s carriage leaves the palace, San asks his servants
to bring him a bedpan to relieve himself. San makes noises to pretend that he’s
using the bedpan and tells his servants that he’s not comfortable with everyone
around him and orders them to stay several feet away with their backs turned
around.
Episode 3
San (actor Park Ji-bin, ? actor Lee Seo-jin) rings the cymbal of justice to
announce
his grievance to the king and succeeds in stopping the king’s procession. San
pleads with the king to take a look at a painting that Crown Prince Sado (actor
Lee
Chang-hoon) asked him to show to the king. With a stern expression, King Young-jo
asks him how it could be possible for Crown Prince Sado to give him such an
order.
So San confesses that it was he who entered Shimin Palace against the king’s
orders and then he begs the king to spare his father’s life. But King Young-jo
is
already enraged at San’s disobedience and has him arrested and
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