How There’s History in the Making of K-Dramas

K-dramas provide me with not only a comfortable refuge, but also a wealth of knowledge. I’ve already stated that my love for K-dramas derives from my strong admiration for Korean culture and the language. These dramas have been an important part of my learning process as well as a source of entertainment for me as a Korean language student for over four years. It gives me great pleasure to see on-screen allusions to what I’ve learned. I feel that this allows me to learn more while enjoying the shows at the same time. To clarify, K-dramas are more than just figments of imagination. They are images of life, depictions of Korean culture, society, and history. Speaking of which, I feel inclined to share some of the amazing things I’ve recently learned about Joseon, the kingdom that developed in the aftermath of the Goryeo dynasty’s fall in what is now Kaesong, as well as how the history of that period lives on through various depictions in K-dramas.

Being at the centerpiece of issues like power struggles and pirate invasions, the Goryeo dynasty was already groaning under pressure when General Yi Seong-gye took advantage of the situation by deposing Goryeo, establishing Joseon – a new dynasty – and renaming himself as King Taejo, its ruler. With this, he declared Hanyang (modern-day Seoul) as Joseon’s capital and ordered the construction of roads, markets, the Gyeongbokgung Palace and the Jongmyo Temple.

This event in Korean history serves as the backdrop for 2015’s highly acclaimed drama, Six Flying Dragons. The premise (which details the triumphs and conflicts of various actual and fictional characters) is set during the inception of the Joseon dynasty, when six dragons battled for their political beliefs. The dragons – Prince Lee Bang-won (Yoo Ah-in), Jeong Do-jeon (Kim Myung-min), Lee Seong-gye (Chun Ho-jin), Boon Yi (Shin Se-kyung), Ddang Sae (Byun Yo-han) and Moo Hyul (Yoon Kyun-sang) – are on the opposing sides of a skirmish between those who want a country ruled by ministers and others who demand full authority. Jeong supports his father, Seong Gye, in establishing Joseon, but his greatest adversary would turn out to be Lee, who would later become King Taejong.

Taejong is a polarizing character who murdered many people for power, yet utilized it to change things for the better, strengthen national security, and lay the foundation for his heir Sejong’s rule. After Taejong’s resignation, Sejong seized power. During his reign, Korea developed in the fields of natural science, agriculture, literature, traditional Chinese medicine and engineering, earning him the moniker, ‘Sejong the Great.’

The birth of Hangul, the Korean alphabet, was King Sejong’s biggest contribution. That’s something we see in The Great King, Sejong (2008) – a historical television series that follows the life of Joseon’s fourth king. The series portrays Prince Chungnyeong (Kim Sang-kyung), who grows up outside of the palace and lives among the common people, observing daily life. Later, as King Sejong (also Kim Sang-kyung), he takes the throne and gives the kingdom renewed life, inventing Hangul in the process.

The importance of class hierarchy, older and younger people, family values, maintaining order and control, and the unequal social status of women were all emphasized in the Joseon era. Rituals grew in importance. Traditions honoring ancestors, and the importance of learning and training were highly regarded. Hard work, integrity, civility, and abstaining from inappropriate behavior were considered valuable among neo-Confucians. It was essential that everyone understood their social status and followed protocol. Even today, the Korean language reflects this idea through the use of honorifics, which indicate if the speaker is speaking to a senior or a superior.

A lot of K-dramas have mirrored the Joseon ethos time and again. Take for example the superhit Sungkyunkwan Scandal (2010) based on Jung Eun-gwol’s bestselling novel, The Lives of Sungkyunkwan Confucian Scholars. In the period saga, Kim Yoon-hee (Park Min-young) impersonates her brother, Kim Yoon-shik, to support her family during a period when women were not permitted to be educated or work. She does odd jobs, usually at a small bookstore, before being offered the chance to enhance her earnings by taking the prestigious Sungkyunkwan’s impending entrance examination. Lee Sun-joon (Park Yoo-chun) sees Yoon’s potential and encourages her to enter the university. There, she must deal with the mischievous upperclassman Gu Yong-ha (Song Joong-ki), the moody roommate Moon Jae-shin (Yoo Ah-in), and the rigid student-body president Ha In-soo (Jun Tae-soo) while keeping her real identity a secret and suppressing her growing feelings for Lee Sun-joon.

This aside, Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung (2019) exposes the Joseon dynasty’s unjust class divide, ranking system, and extremist suppression of individuals who tried to raise a voice. Goo (Shin Sae-kyung) is a Joseon woman who believes in independence and freedom of speech and expression. She is known as a fearless historian, unafraid of anyone, including the king himself. Her derring-do nature is highlighted by her passionate discourse in the drama – “Our brushes will continue to write even if you slash my throat. If I die, I shall be succeeded by another historian. “

The history of Joseon comes under the Imjinwaeran period (Japanese invasion of Korea from 1592 to 1598), the Jungjong coup (1506), and the Qing (Manchu) invasion of Joseon (1636 to 1637). Joseon enjoyed approximately 200 years of peace following the Manchu invasions. The French takeover of Ganghwa Island (1871) in retribution for the murder of French Jesuit priests propagating illegally in Korea is known as the Byeonginyangyo campaign against Korea in 1866.

The Battle of Ganghwa (between the United States and the Joseon dynasty), the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1905 (between the Empire of Japan and the Korean Empire), and The Battle of Namdaemun (a revolt of the Korean army against the order of abolishment issued by the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1907) are some of the many important historical events that are described in the blockbuster classic Korean television series Mr. Sunshine (2018) – the sixth highest-rated drama in Korean cable television history.

Mr. Sunshine tells the story of Eugene Choi (Lee Byung-hun), a Joseon native. Following the 1871 Shinmiyangyo (Battle of Ganghwa), he escapes to the United States and becomes a Marine Corps officer. When he returns to Joseon for a mission, he falls for Go Ae-shin (Kim Tae-ri), a member of the Righteous Army. Their love is tested, however, by their differing social statuses and the presence of Ae-shin’s betrothed, Kim Hui-seong (Byun Yo-han). Eugene also encounters Goo Dong-mae (Yoo Yeon-seok), who’s a vicious samurai, and Kudo Hina (Kim Min-jung), the owner of Glory Hotel, where Eugene stays. Simultaneously, he uncovers a plot by the Japanese empire to invade Korea and gets entangled in the struggle for Joseon’s independence. The Korea Times praised the drama for focusing on individuals who are often marginalized in society, such as women and the lower classes, as well as for effectively pointing out paradoxes and optimism in the rapidly changing late-Joseon period.