The only woman whose beauty is documented in the Joseon Dynasty Annals serves as one of the most prized script sources in Korean historical dramas
Kim Tae-hee appears as the titular character in 'Jang Ok-jung, Living by Love.' Photo courtesy of SBS
The Joseon Dynasty Annals, or The True Records of the Joseon Dynasty, state that Jang Ok-jung, also known as Huibin Jang, was a concubine of King Sukjong of Joseon. According to a passage on the history of Korean beauty during the Joseon dynasty provided by the Asia Society, Jang, an absolutely gorgeous woman at the time, is the only woman whose exquisite features are documented in the Joseon Dynasty Annals. When she began working directly for King Sukjong in 1680, she was a court maid and later acquired the status of queen.
Although King Sukjong was a brilliant politician, history has it that his reign was marked by some of the deadliest factional conflicts in the Joseon dynasty (between the southern and western groups). For instance, Jang was chosen to replace Queen Min (later identified as Queen Inhyeon) when Sukjong deposed her. When the Western camp objected to Jang’s son being selected as crown prince, Sukjong grew furious. The Southern faction, which assumed control after driving out the Western faction and killing Song Si-yeol (also known as Master Song, a Korean philosopher and politician) in retribution, backed Jang and her son.
Years later, in 1694, Sukjong began to regret the overthrow of Queen Min and began to lean toward the royal noble consort Suk of the Haeju Choe clan, a comrade of the deposed queen. The southern faction was planning a second purge of the western faction at the same time, claiming that they were involved in a plot to reinstate the queen who had been ousted. Infuriated by the southern camp’s attempt to eliminate westerners, Sukjong quickly turned around to remove southerners, which gave the western faction back control. The southern faction would be irrevocably harmed by this strike, also known as Gapsul Hwanguk. Queen Jang was demoted to Jang Huibin by Sukjong, who then reinstated Queen Min. Subsequently, as a consequence of offending the queen, Jang was poisoned to death.
One of the most prized script sources in Korean historical dramas, Jang’s life narrative has been adapted numerous times for both dramas and films over the years. According to the Asia Society, it is important to note that the actresses who played Jang are considered to be the most attractive female stars of their respective generations, as follows:
I totally loved Kim Tae-hee’s adroit rendition of the titular character’s lust for power. Kim, the South Korean superstar—who is also acknowledged as one of Korea’s most beautiful actresses—deftly played Jang in the 2013 drama Jang Ok-jung, Living by Love. You can witness her rise from squalor to affluence in the epic television series. She started her career making garments and bedding for the royal family in the palace. She swiftly rose to fame as a skilled fashion designer, caught the eye of opulent nobility, and won King Sukjong’s passionate affection. Their romance, however, was not meant to survive because of royal disagreements.
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