K-DRAMAS FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
By Sharon Stern
Celebrating International Women’s Day reminds us to pause and reflect on the amazing women that have gone before us as well as those that are present in our lives. Korea has some amazing women who have inspired generations with their heroic stories. Luckily for us, drama writers have also been inspired to write about some of them. Historic drama or sageuk may not be your thing, but if you want to understand the history of Korea, watching them is an excellent way to personify these important people of the past. I encourage you to give this genre a chance to help unfold history and help you understand modern Korea in its historic context. Reading history can be dry because it lacks personal detail. Writers of sageuk take on the challenges of bringing dry details alive for us to understand and embrace. That said, let’s explore some significant sageuks and the history they portray.
Queen Seondeok of Silla (632-347 BCE)
She was Korea’s first female ruler and the 27th ruler of Silla (if you don’t know about the Three Kingdoms that preceded the Joseon Dynasty, please go read). History records her as benevolent, very smart but also wise as well as beautiful. She encouraged engagement in literature, arts, and philosophy. She focused her attention on taking care of the people she ruled. And she, through her great negotiation skills, laid the foundation for the unification of the Three Kingdoms.
The Great Queen Seondeok – 선덕여왕 (2009)
Starring Lee Yo Won, Go Hyun Jung, Uhm Tae Woong, Kim Nam Gil, and Park Ye Jin
This drama is epic in every sense of the word. It’s a bit like the K-drama version of Ben Hur. Cast of, well, at least hundreds, if not thousands, 62 (yes, you read that correctly) episodes, very big names in hallyu stars. You will recognize many faces. The costuming and sets are amazing and there is some epic music to accompany the epic story. It is a long slog to make your way through this, but if you are a history buff, it is truly a classic. It originally ran from May through December of 2009 and topped ratings charts for many weeks and Lee Yo Won’s portrayal of Korea’s first female ruler, planted her name as a top star. There was a lot of real-life drama in the short reign of Queen Seondeok, which makes the true story perfect for a drama.
Lady Jang Geum - The First Female Royal Physician (c. 1474 - 1550)
Lady Jang Geum is mentioned multiple times in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty – the official court records of the Joseon Dynasty, kept from 1392-1865. She is also mentioned in other medical journals of the time. She became the third highest ranking officer of the Royal Court and was trusted uniquely by the king. She was given the title Dae (대), meaning Great – completely unique for a woman. She began in the palace as a palace maid, but not much more is known about her beginnings. Some scholars debate her existence as a real person, despite repeated reference to her in historical documents. My conjecture would conclude that perhaps a significant woman in the palace is still a controversial topic for some.
Jewel in the Palace – 대장금 (2003)
Starring: Lee Yong Ae, Ji Jin Hee, Hong Ri Na, Im Ho
This is a very long (54 episodes) sageuk drama, but I found it completely captivating. Not because of pretty actors. Not because of an amazing script (it was a bit repetitive at times). But rather because of the history of Korean palace cooking and cuisine, its effects on health and the body, and in addition, the history of herbal medicine was completely enthralling. I kept pausing the episodes to see what, exactly, they were making and what combinations they used and what effects on the body those ingredients had. Even though the drama fictitiously weaves together a life from a maid in the royal kitchen, to work in the royal herb garden, to life as a physician (these connections are not historically connected in Jang Geum’s life) the drama covers a lot of detail about all of these subjects, which makes for a very good history lesson. Oh, the buried persimmon vinegar! I’m sure the bottle I bought at H-Mart was not nearly as good for me. The drama was really, really interesting.
Shin Saimdang (1504-1551)
Shin Saimdang was an artist, writer, calligrapher and poet. She was born to the noble class with a father who was a government official. She was the middle daughter of five girls. Her maternal grandfather taught her as he would have taught a grandson, so she was much more highly educated than a woman of the time would have been. She was studious and smart and because there were no sons in the family, she received an education that the first son might have received. Her family married her to a man that they believed would allow her to continue to study, paint and write. She ended up in conflict with her husband, however, who was in love with a gisaeng. She had eight children, one of whom became a famous scholar, Yi I. She is the first woman to have her likeness on a Korean Won banknote. She is still considered one of the most important Korean women of the Joseon era.
Saimdang, Memoir of Colors – 사임당, 빛의 일기 (2017)
Starring Lee Young Ae, Song Seung Heon
This drama starts with an art history professor, Ji Yoon (Lee Young Ae), who is researching the origins of a recently discovered painting by a Korean artist of the Joseon era. Her research leads her to discover a painting by Shin Saimdang by accident. In parallel, the drama shows the life of Shin Simdang (also Lee Young Ae) and a supposed lover, who is a member of the royal family. Shin Simdang is married off to her husband and the two are separated for 20 years. When they are reunited, both of their lives are pretty much a mess, but they eventually escape together. In a fantasy connection, Ji Yoon and Shin Saimdang are able to meet and Ji Yoon is able to tell Shin Saimdang about the fate of her lover. There is quite a bit of fiction going on in the telling of the story, but you do get to understand the difficulty of a women with scholarly talents in this historic time frame.
Hwang Jin-i (1506-1567)
Hwang Jin-I was a gisaeng in the middle Joseon Dynasty. She was said to be the most beautiful gisaeng that every lived. The life of a gisaeng was in no way desirable nor easy. Gisaeng were women owned by the state, enslaved to entertain upper class men, though designated to the lowest class themselves. They were trained in music, dance, singing and therefore actually held a higher status than other slaves, despite being members of the lowest caste. However, if this is your lot in life, you can still try to make the most of it. Hwang Jini is noted to have had a strong personality and did not conform to the norms of her class or position. She was said to be witty, artistic and incredibly beautiful. Many upper-class men came to see her perform. She would ask them a riddle, testing their intelligence, and only those that answered correctly were allowed to enter and watch her perform. Her riddles and poems still exist to be pondered. Her beauty and intelligence allowed her to somewhat control her situation and who she connected with. In a time when women were supposed to be basically invisible, Hwang Jini was celebrated as a singer, dancer, poet and even recognized by King Jungjong. Even if strong women face impossible and controlling situations, their wit, their beauty, their intellect can bring them subtle forms of power.
Hwang Jin Yi – 황진이 (2006)
Starring: Ha Ji Won, Kim Young Ae, Wang Bit Na, Kim Jaewon, Ryu Tae Joon, Jang Keun Suk
This drama was popular when it aired and brought popularity to the portrayal of gisaeng and gibang in popular culture, from music, films and dramas to webtoons. This series mixed veteran actors with popular younger ones and was quite popular. It shows in great detail the rigid training that gisaeng underwent and helps explain the hierarchy of the classes during the Joseon Dynasty, but also the hierarchy and politics within the gibang itself.
Potter Baek Pa Sun (Middle 1500s)
Baek Pa Sun became the first female potter and porcelain artist of the Joseon Dynasty, at a time when it was believed that women touching pottery was not only bad luck, but would bring ruin to those that used it. Korean white porcelain is unique and renowned and was sought after throughout Southeast Asia. Baek Pa Sun’s talents were widely recognized and she was appointed as potter to the royal family. She was captured and taken to Japan during the 1592 invasion. She brought about innovative changes to the pottery of Japan and the creation of Arita ware, and is still recognized there as a significant historical figure. The tragedy is that the first Korean female potter becomes the cornerstone of what is now recognized as a Japanese artform rather than a Korean one.
Goddess of Fire - 불의 여신 정이 (2013)
Starring: Moon Geun Young, Lee Sang Yoon, Kim Bum
This drama shows not only the life of this famous female potter, but a deep history of the making of pottery itself. If you have taken a ceramics course, the details of how soils are assembled to make clay and elements are mixed to make glaze in this drama will hook you. Like many of the older sageuk dramas, it is long-ish (32 episodes), but there is enough action and intrigue in addition to art history to keep you interested.
Queen Inhyeon (1667-1701)
Queen Inhyeon was the second wife of King Sukjong. She was queen from 1681-1688, deposed and then reinstated from 1694-1701. Political rivalry among the power of clans in the court made her a bit of a political ping-pong ball. The king favored her and, in the end, he overruled clan faction fighting and reinstated her as Queen Consort. Her steadfastness and sheer survival make her an important historical figure. The tumultuous drama of her life in the court was captured in a fictional novel by one of her lady’s in waiting, which still exists and can be read today (Queen Inyeon’s Story – 인현왕후전). She became a symbol for good in the chaotic maelstrom of the evil court figures that surrounded her, particularly Royal Consort Jang Hui Bin. Because her life was documented like this, she had been portrayed numerous times in dramas, films and webtoons, starting in the 1960s.
Many of the dramas focus on Queen Inhyeon’s rival, Royal Consort Jang Hui Bin. I will mention just a couple that are still available streaming.
Queen and I – 인현왕후의 남자 (2012)
Watch on Roku Channel
Starring: Yoo In Na, Ji Hyun Woo, Jin Ye Sol
This is a fantasy time travel drama about an unknown actress (Yoo In Na) who is cast as Queen Inyeon in a drama and who falls in love with a time-traveling scholar. They end up traveling back to Joseon at the time that Queen Inhyeon is struggling to be reinstated as Queen Consort. This is more of a modern romance with historical touches, but it does touch on the mess of the court and the life of the queen.
Jang Ok-jung, Living by Love - 장옥정, 사랑에 살다 (2013)
Starring: Kim Tae Hee, Yoo Ah In, Hong Soo Hyun and Jae Hee
This drama is seen through the history of Jang Ok Jung who is titled Jang Hui Bin – the rival of Queen Inhyeon. It takes you through the dynamics of both the rivalry between these two women as well as the court and clans.
I want to mention two films quickly, as well. One is available for streaming, but the other currently is not, but they both feature important Korean women of history.
The Sound of a Flower – 도리화가 (2015)
Starring: Bae Suzy, Ryu Seung Ryong, Kim Nam-gil
This drama tells the story of Jin Chae Son, Korea’s first female pansori singer. As with many other disparaging aspects of Joseon society towards women, the female voice was thought to be vulgar to listen to in public. You had to visit the gibang to listen to female voices and Jin Chae Son had herself been raised by a gisaeng. Jin Chae Son studied tirelessly to become an accomplished singer and Jin Chae Son’s voice was said to be so beautiful and compelling that she was able to break through the male-only barrier. Bae Suzy does a great job in this film.
A Resistance – 항거: 유관순 이야기 (2019)
Starring: Go Ah-sung, Kim Sae Byuk, Kim Ye Eun, Jeong Ha Dam and Ryu Kyung Soo
This film isn’t currently streaming, but I hope that it will be soon. It covers the life of a very important young woman, Yu Gwan Sun, who died in prison after being arrested in the March First Movement protests. She was brutally tortured by the colonial government and is a symbol of both the March First Movement and of freedom in Korea.
If the drama writers of the world are listening, please consider taking on other amazing Korean women whose stories deserve to be told!
