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nchristi
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 K-Drama: 대왕세종 大王世宗 (The Great King Sejong)
The Great King Sejong is a KBS drama beginning Sunday, February 3, 2008. Station KXLA on Sat-Sun from 8:00p–9:00p. Time Change week of May 5: 10:00–10:55p. Eng Subs
Alternate names: Daewang Sejong, King Sejong
(Replaces Dae Jo Young)
Cast: Kim Sang-gyeong, Kim Yeong-cheol, Park Sang-min
Directors: Kimg Seong-geun and Kim Won-seok
Writer: Yun Seon-ju
Episodes: Final: 86 (originally scheduled for 100)
Running Time: 60 minutes
Official Homepages: Korean; KBS World/Eng; Soompi
KBS SYNOPSIS [& current social commentary]
I. Why King Se-jong? Why now? class ul 1) The public wants a model of positive leadership.
When asked, few Koreans can answer which president they like and respect. They are used to the pattern that the people’s elected leaders end up disappointing the voters. Thus, people want a new kind of leader. They earn for a leader who will solidify the people, strengthen the economy and take rank with the global powers.
The public needs a leader on whom they can pin their hope. They want to be excited about his ideals and dreams and run with him to realize them. In the history of the Korean dynasty Joseon, there was such a leader. He is the Great King Se-jong.
2) The public wants to be proud of the nation’s history. Recapturing the history of victory and the golden age will instill in Koreans a sense of pride.
Conspiracies, rivalry and jealousy in the royal court or households have been the center of most historical dramas. It is partly because such stories of conflict and rivalry best provides the dramatic tension. Until now, therefore, the good kings and heroes such as Great King Se-jong and Admiral Yi Sun-sin have been considered a taboo as a main character of a television drama. Moreover, it will be challenging to find and dramatize entertaining factors in the life of a national hero. The staff of the drama Great King Se-jong goes against such views.
King Se-jong is considered as the king who realized the most fortunate and happy age in the history and established the strong kingship.
However, it is not hard to guess that the king must have spent many days and nights in agonies and faced struggles to realize the peace and prosperity.
The swan may be gliding on the lake gracefully but, under the surface, it is paddling fiercely.
In the making of the drama “Great King Se-jong,” we want to focus on the leader and his subjects who made hard efforts to establish a beautiful, powerful country rather than talk about power-hungry figures.
Highlighting their positive values will instill the sense of price in Koreans, and moreover help them dream of better tomorrow.
II. Who is King Se-jong? class ul 1) He was a prepared leader.
As a prince, King Se-jong did not spare time and efforts to study and develop himself. He loved reading more than any other kings did. One may earn a country with the sword but must rule the country with knowledge. King Se-jong knew the importance of knowledge and strived to gain the knowledge. He was a prepared leader.
2) King Se-jong devoted his life to the happiness of his people.
In 1446, King Se-jong has created the native Korean alphabet, hangul. He created 28 letters so that anyone can learn the letters easily, read and use them everyday. He took pity on people who did not learn the burrowed Chinese letters which did not correspond well with the spoken Korean language. This is the epitome of his governing philosophy. He followed the principle that a ruler should have mercy on the people and work for them.
3) King Se-jong valued talents.
King Se-jong led a Joseon Renaissance with his ministers, who were steadfast to the king’s philosophy. However, many of his men had shortcomings. For instance, Yun Hoe earned a fame as a genius writer but was an uncontrollable drunker. Sin Suk-ju was brilliant and tactful but also sneaky and lazy. General Kim Jong-seo was both talented in pen and sword but had many enemies due to his hot temper. The ingenious inventor Jang Yeong-sil was a person of a low birth as his father was a merchant and his mother a slave. Prime Minister Hwnag Hi was the king’s political foe originally. Hwang had strongly opposed King Se-jong, when he was a prince, becoming the heir to the throne. If the king did not see beyond their apparent handicaps, they may have been forgotten in the history. Nonetheless, the king had an eye to see through what’s on the outside and appoint the right person to the right job. From the scholars at the royal library Jip-hyeon-jeon who had leading role in creating the Hanguland the inventor and scientist Jang Yeong-sil who produced the rain gauge, sun dial and water clocks to the famous statesman Hwang Hi could leave their name in the history book thanks to the king.
4) King Se-jong governed the kingdom with justice.
Whereas his predecessor and father, King Tae-jong focused on strengthening the royal power, King Se-jong sought the balance between the king and vassal power. King Tae-jong discriminated between friends and foes. He had absolute trust in his side but purged others including his own brothers and relatives. King Se-jong was different. Since taking the throne, he thought about for whom and why he had to strengthen the kingship. He hired anyone who was willing to work for the country including his political opponents. He listened to criticisms. King Se-jong was the leader who could embrace both his friends and enemies.
III. The drama Great King Se-jong class ul 1) The political drama will show passion and conviction of the newborn Joseon
In most historical dramas, the palace was often the venue of dark schemes and lovers’ quarrels. However, the drama Great King Se-jong will present the royal court as the center of Joseon’s politics. The royal palace of Joseon had administrative areas including meeting halls, the royal secretariat, advisory body and library beside the king’s private quarters. Near the palace were located six main ministries: Ministries of Interior, Finance, Culture and Education, Justice, Defense and Industry. The new drama will illustrate how the palace and the ministries worked to run the entire country and portray the conflict and resolution among the statesmen.
2) Apart from the stereotype image of Great King Se-jong as the nation’s most revered king, the drama will depict King Se-jong as a person who fought against his limits and manage to become the great leader.
“People look up to heaven for food; and the country considers the people as its heavenly duty” says King Se-jong as a prince. However, as a mere prince but not the crowned one, to have interest in the politics and make such a remark was considered as treacherous. The young prince did not have the ambition to take the power, but he wanted to make the people happy. Where there is a will, there is a way. He disciplined himself hard. He studied from Confucius teachings, mathematics to foreign languages. He was well-prepared. With the powers in his hands, he never forgot his duties. In the face of the public good, he was willing to set his personal feelings aside albeit painful. He was courageous and, when called for, did not hesitate to make a bold decision. His proactive life will present a lesson to the modern people, who lead passive lives dragged by daily responsibilities.
3) It will present how King Se-jong and his men cooperated. People living the modern days will learn from their good example of how an organization must be run.
“The Great King Se-jong” is the story of how many people enabled King Se-jong to become a great leader. King Se-jong sacrificed himself for the welfare of the nation and its people. Inspired, many followed in the footsteps of the king and put the national interest before their personal gains. Nonetheless, one can easily imagine that the statesmen probably had conflicts and disagreements among themselves as their good intentions come head-to-head. The drama will show how they might have resolved the conflicts through discussions.
4) It will present how the famous rain gauge, sun dial and water clock and other historical and cultural treasures were born.
Among many of King Se-jong’s achievements, the Korean alphabet Hangulwas necessary to establish the rule of law and educate the people. Also, to have the Korean letters corresponding to the spoken language could serve as the source of national pride. King Se-jong strived to set up Joseon as an independent country but not as a subject country of China’s Ming Dynasty. Therefore, it was essential to develop the local letters since people used the Chinese characters in writing.
Meanwhile, inventions such as the rain gauge, sun dial and water clock were closely related to the nation’s economic stability. For years, Joseon suffered from severed draught. Faced with such natural disasters, the previous King Tae-jong sought the mercy of the higher beings. When there is a draught, King Tae-jong offered sacrifices praying for rain. When the waters were rough, he had the rituals performed to appease the son god. However, unlike his father, King Se-jong approached the problem scientifically.
5) King Se-jong managed the diplomatic relations with the powerful Ming while maintaining the country’s independence. He sought utilitarian diplomacy.
In July, 1449, the then Ming’s emperor asked for King Se-jong to dispatch 100-thousand troops to invade Mongolia. At the time, beside the royal guards in the Joseon’s capital Seoul, the number of Joseon’s entire military forces was barely over 100-thousand. King Se-jong turned down the Ming emperor’s demand indirectly saying he would do his best to guard his given territory. It reflected that the king would not do anything against the national interest even if the request came from the most powerful. Most of the time, King Se-jong was appeasing to Ming. It was not because he was a coward but because he was aware that the peace and security of the small Joseon depended on Ming with the regional hegemony. King Se-jong was willing to put down his pride and dignity to prevent a war in his country. He was truly a good king and leader.CAST & CHARACTERS
Kim Sang-gyeong as King Se-jong (1397-1450)
His name is Yi Do and Prince Chung-nyeong class ul He was born as the third son but named as the crown prince although he didn’t mean to take away the birth right of his older brothers.
He is a lonely king. Maybe all kings are meant to be lonely. He has to constantly make decisions which may determine one’s destiny and make or stop a war.
The image of King Se-jong is a person standing alone amid the cold winter winds.
How would have the king felt? When he could protect his close friend and aide from the political rivals and watch him die; when he had to sleep with another woman against his will to keep his wife from being cast out of the palace; when his decision to make peace with a neighboring country resulted in many deaths of his people; when he had to bow his head low to the powerful for the benefit of the country… How often would he have sighed and shed tears?
Nonetheless, he is not a lonely person. He has his wife So-heon by his side. She tells him that she will never, ever doubt or blame him even if she is cast out of the palace. He has his loyal ministers, who are willing to risk their lives to protect the king. He has his people who he should take care and love. Above all, he is not lonely because he has a dream to make Joseon into a beautiful country where each and every one will live happily and be thankful to born there.
He knows the power of dreams. If he keeps the dream by himself, it will be a mere dream. He knows that if he shares with others then they can realize the dream together.
“The people need the letters that correspond to the language to write and read. I will name the letters "Hun-min-jeong-eum," the sounds of right teachings to the people. Joseon can become the most powerful nation. To become a cultural power and influence the others is more meaningful than expanding the territory with the sword. When Joseon becomes the cultural power, all nations and people will learn Korean language and Hangul. Then, the spirit of the country will spread out through the world.”
Kim Yeong-cheol as King Tae-jong (1367~1422)
The fifth son of King Tae-jo and became the third king of Joseon class ul He is a strong man. He can kill anyone with a stroke if one threatens the Joseon’s kingship.
He does not know a defeat or regret. He never bends his will. He mercilessly killed his friend Jeong Do-jeon, his in-laws, and the respected statesmen of the former Koryeo dynasty Jeong Mong-ju because they were a hindrance to the new country.
But at the same time, he is weak. He believes that strength is power and to rule and order is all there is to politics. “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword,” one cannot have power and strength forever. If the edge of one’s sword becomes rusty and blunt, one will lose power.
Maybe, he did not know or ignored that a leader’s strength comes from his influence rather than from his sword. King Tae-jong was a military man in spirit. He overly trusted in his own charisma and resoluteness.
However, his aggressive leadership may be necessary. He became the king when the country was founded less than ten years ago. He faced crisis every second of his life. The palace was the jaw of death and fierce jungle. He did not have the patience to wait and let the ministries take root and work. He put all ministries under his direct order. He did not allow any opposition. As the king of a newborn kingdom, maybe it was necessary for him to be strong and aggressive.
Park Sang-min as Prince Yang-nyeong (1394~1462)
He is King Tae-jong’s first son, Yi Je class ul He is a natural leader with his outgoing personality and fluent speech skills.
At the age of ten, he was named as the crown prince. He served as his father’s close aide. From early on, he was trained under his uncle Min Mu-gu and Min Mu-jil, influential statesmen.
He is like his father. He will risk his life to save his loyal servants but mercilessly punish those who stand up against him.
He is a conqueror. He has his father’s boldness and military skills. Maybe that’s why he cannot trust his father fully.
In the fifth year of King Tae-jong’s reign, the king got angry at Jeong Do-jeon, who proposed to conquer Yodong despite the king’s opposition. Prince Yang-nyeong believed his father punished his friend and teacher Jeong Do-jeong out of anger.
Prince Yang-nyeong was too young to understand the world dynamics and diplomacy. He did not have the diligence and fervor to study diplomacy and foreign languages. So, he could not understand why his brother Prince Chung-nyeong was studying hard to learn Chinese.
When Ming’s envoy was visiting Joseon’s palace, the crown prince recklessly provoked the envoy and put the bilateral relations at risk.
He is well versed in his rights as the prince but ignorant of his duties. He does not know how hard he has to try to prove himself as the rightful king. Thus, his brother, instead of him, succeeds King Tae-jong.
Lee Yun-Ji as Sejong's Queen
Edit: KBS America schedule change, drama now begins at 10:00p.
Last edited by nchristi, 11/25/2008, 2:39 pm
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1/28/2008, 4:06 pm
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robbo4
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Registered: 12-2006
Posts: 565
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Re: K-Drama: 대왕세종 大王世宗 (The Great King Sejong)
I'm also looking forward to seeing our "Snowcone" who I've enjoyed in everything in which she's appeared. I wish that some station would have run her last series as she was reportedly very good (winning best actress in her category at this year's MBC awards this year.)
Thanks for the head's up, nchristi! 
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1/28/2008, 5:29 pm
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junie
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Registered: 01-2006
Posts: 59
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Re: K-Drama: 대왕세종 大王世宗 (The Great King Sejong)
KBS WORLD is showing GREAT KING SEJONG
This one should not be missed - Only 4 episodes so far but I'm completely HOOKED! Flwless writing from the man who wrote ADMIRAL YI SOON SHIN
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1/28/2008, 8:33 pm
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robbo4
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Registered: 12-2006
Posts: 565
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Re: K-Drama: 대왕세종 大王世宗 (The Great King Sejong)
Thanks for the revision, nchristi. Super Bowl Sunday...I wonder if I'll still be awake at 8 pm? 
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1/30/2008, 8:59 am
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viyra
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Registered: 12-2006
Posts: 710
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Re: K-Drama: 대왕세종 大王世宗 (The Great King Sejong)
another great king! so where does that put Yi San? Isn'the also a great king? Isn't he also a king for the commoners?
will have to watch this one - haven't seen lee jun -ji in a while.
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1/30/2008, 2:12 pm
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calimike
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Registered: 02-2007
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Re: K-Drama: 대왕세종 大王世宗 (The Great King Sejong)
The Great King Sejong Special is air on KBS America (Time Warner Cable) on 2/3 at 9:15pm-10:15pm.
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1/31/2008, 7:54 am
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