HomeYi san
Yi san
이산(Isan)
Lee Byeong-hoon(이병훈)cast
<nasib>87 days ago (Sep 09, 2008 6:10:57)
why cant i watch the other episodes?
<snoopytwo>161 days ago (Jun 27, 2008 8:37:21)
whatever became of that country martial artist that could beat dae su and the other two guards? there's only two episodes left and they still haven't tied up that loose end!
<Jeannie>168 days ago (Jun 20, 2008 10:38:10)
For Yi San, I've watched until 73 and it's only 64 here. Plse update fast....... Thanks
"Rivals" on KBS 2TV Kicks Off with 7.1% Viewer Rating
"Kangjeok" or "Rivals," a brand new drama series on KBS 2TV starring Chaerim and Lee Jong-hyuk, started off with a lower-than-expected viewer rating of 7.1 percent (TNS Media Korea) on April 14. In the first episode, new bodyguards were shown going through grueling training sessions. "Rivals" competed with "Isan" on MBC (27.9%) and "I Love You" on SBS (6.7%). According to AGB Nielsen Media Research, the viewer rating for "Rivals" on April 4 was 6.1 percent while that of "Isan" and "I Love You" were 28.4 percent and 7 percent, respectively. The viewer rating for "Rivals" is only slightly higher than the preceding drama series "Single Dad in Love" which recorded a viewer rating of 5.9 percent in the first episode and an average viewer rating of 4.6 percent. Meanwhile, "Unshaken," a new morning drama series on MBC starring Hong Eun-hee and Kim Nam-jin, recorded a viewer rating of 12.6 for the first episode according to AGB Nielsen Media Research. "I Still Love You," the preceding morning drama had the highest viewer rating of 23.4 percent and an average viewer rating of 16.3 percent.
'Bad Love' has good Christmas
After a slew of historical dramas, the latest KBS tear jerker "Bad Love" promised viewers a break from old school epics with its all-star cast and classic love story. But audiences weren't interested. That is, until now. With the competition heating up, the New Year may just bring "Bad Love" a bit of good luck. "Bad Love," which first aired on Dec. 3, failed to draw interest with viewer ratings reaching a low 6.1 percent following its first episode, according to AGB Nielsen Media Research. The star power of high profile celebs, Lee Yo-won, 27, and Kwon Sang-woo, 31, proved no match for rivals, MBC's "Isan" and SBS's "The King and I" a.k.a. "Eunuch." After a long hiatus from the world of TV dramas, Hallyu star Kwon Sang-woo tried to win fans over with his rippling pecs and picture-perfect abs in the first few episodes. But to no avail. "I think Kwon Sang-woo is doing it as a service to his fans," said viewer Lee Young-hyun, 51. "He is trying to reach out to them." Lee went on to state that not only was Kwon Sang-woo miscast, but that Lee Yo-won's previous role in SBS's "Doctor Bong" left such a strong impression on him that he had trouble buying into her new character, Na In-jung. Other viewers seemed to be equally turned off by "Bad Love." According to TNS Media Korea, the drama's seventh episode recorded viewer ratings of 6.3 percent, a mere 0.2 percent improvement from its first episode. But this KBS drama might still just manage to beat out its competition, or at least give them a run for their money. Its latest and eighth episode, which aired Christmas Day, posted record a viewer share of 9.2 percent, up 2.9 percent from the previous episode. After the latest installment, one viewer wrote on the drama's bulletin board: "On Tuesday, I was switching back and forth between "Isan" and "Bad Love" and in the end I picked "Bad Love," even though I am a huge fan of historical dramas." Another viewer said, "Most dramas get predictable right about now, but this drama's unpredictability makes it attractive." Indeed, what started off as a classic love triangle is quickly developing into a melodrama of epic proportions, as heroine Na In-jung's father suddenly passes away and hero Yong-gi, played by heartthrob Kwon, falls victim to a car accident in the final moments of the latest installment. For those who haven't been tuning in, In-jung, struggling to recover from a torrid affair with a married man, pretty much sums up the plot when she answers Yong-gi's question, "What do you think love is?" "Love!? It's bad ... it's wicked ... it's so twisted and evil, that it's sad ..." In-jung replies. And Lee Yo-won's character means every word she says. After being attacked and tortured by the jealous wife of her lover, In-jung gets spurned by her lover, miscarries her lovechild, loses her mother and must look after her invalid father while eking out a living as the owner of a small fried chicken restaurant in a remote island village. Kwon's character, Yong-gi, recently scarred by his girlfriend's sudden suicide, falls in love with In-jung, only to discover that his brother-in-law is In-jung's ex-lover. In-jung, overwhelmed by all this, runs away. And if that wasn't bad enough, in the last episode, In-jung's father suddenly passes away and Yong-gi, determined to stand by In-jung, is hit by a car while chasing after her. With a plot like that "Bad Love" certainly lives up to its reputation as a melodrama. And even if this tear jerker doesn't win the ratings race, it sure wins hands down for being one of the most tragic stories to hit television screens this winter. But to find out what happens to Yong-gi, viewers will have to wait until New Year's Day, when episode 9 airs. "Bad Love" plays on Mondays and Tuesdays at 9:55 p.m. on KBS 2 TV. By Jean Oh
Renaissance of Joseon King Jeongjo
Political Season Stirs Up Interest in Kings, Epic Dramas ``History is an unending dialogue between the present and the past,'' historian E.H. Carr once noted. People living in the modern times seek wise answers by looking to the past, especially when the present is sometimes thrown into a critical state. The huge popularity of epic dramas is an example of this, although the times are different, the issues are closely related to the present. Among other historical subjects, King Jeongjo (1776-1800) is receiving attention in major dramas and even books nowadays. ``Lee San, Wind of the Palace,'' now being aired on MBC, is gaining popularity since it opened on Sept. 17. The drama consists of 60 episodes covering the whole life of King Jeongjo who brought the Joseon Kingdom into ``the era of renaissance.'' Also, a 10-episode drama, titled ``Eight Days,'' which will be broadcast on the cable movie channel CGV on Nov. 17, portrays mysterious events that take place during the king's visit to his father's tomb in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. Prior to the two dramas, ``Conspiracy in the Court'' was broadcast on KBS in July, shedding light on the later years of King Jeongjo's reign. But the popularity of the king as a dramatic motif began in 1993 with ``Eternal Empire,'' a history-based novel that revolved around the story of the poisoning of the king. It is still a steady seller. The book was also made into a film of the same name in 1995. Then, why is Jeongjo being reborn in various fields? Park Kwang-yong, professor of the Korean history department at the Catholic University, explained that the trend reflects people's anticipation for a new leader ahead of the presidential election slated for Dec. 19. ``People tend to rediscover the model eras marked by good leadership and sometimes the successful reformation in the past because they have to decide the fate of the nation,'' Park said in an interview with The Korea Times. ``Maybe, during the era of King Jeongjo, there was much cultural and social progress compared with any other pre-modern society eras, along with the era of King Sejong,'' he said. Park is also a writer of ``The Nation of King Yeongjo and Jeongjo,'' the drama ``Lee San'' is based on. Preceded by his grandfather King Yeongjo (1724-1776), King Jeongjo was the 22nd ruler of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) and is thought of as a reformer. He is regarded as one of the most successful and visionary rulers of Joseon, equivalent to King Sejong. Park said that the king had a modern mindset in foreign policy, to establish equal relations with the Qing Dynasty, which draws sympathy from modern viewers. The king also established Gyujanggak, an imperial library, which was part of his reform efforts to improve the cultural and political stance of Joseon and to recruit gifted officers to run the nation. Also, the library was created to lessen the power of various wealthy aristocrats and relatives of the queen, who had frequently plagued the Joseon era. ``The king was one of the few modern and open-minded leaders. Such a boom spotlighting Jeongjo is the response of people who are longing for political change, which the king tried to achieve,'' said Park. But the king-based dramas offer different point of views. ``Lee San'' focuses on the human side of the king, such as the internal struggles to fight his political enemies as the title suggests, which is also the main focus of the book written by Park. Park said that the book shows how the 18th century people lived and particularly the human side of the king and how he developed Joseon society. Meanwhile, ``Eight Days'' adopts a mystery genre depicting the king's eight-day trip to Hwaseong where his father's grave was located. Park Jong-won, director of the cable drama, said that the king had many tragic family issues. ``King Jeongjo was the eldest son of Crown Prince Sado who was locked in a chest and killed by King Yeongjo, during factional struggles. And his grandfather, Yeongjo was born of a court maid. Such an unfortunate background made him hold a grudge, which haunted him for his entire life,'' the director said. Jeongjo spent much of his reign trying to clear his mentally-ill father's name. He also moved the court to the city of Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, to be closer to his father's grave. He built Hwaseong Fortress to guard the tomb, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. ``Conspiracy in the Court'' dealt with the king's strong reform drive, facing obstacles from many sides in his later years, which reflects the current political situation. ``But what people want to seek is a heroic leader from the past such as Jeongjo who embraced even his enemies for a better nation,'' the professor said. King Jeongjo implemented ``tangpyeongchaek,'' an engagement policy toward rival factions, which was intended to give people equal footing in politics, even though the king suffered continuous threats of assassination from opposing factions. Also, some filmmakers are moving to bring several Jeongjo-themed novels to the screen. Director Kim Tae-gyun is making a well-known mystery novel by Kim Tak-hwan into the film ``Banggakbon'' starring actor Kim Ju-hyuk. By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter chungay@koreatimes.co.kr
TV Falls in Love with Epic Dramas
Lee Seo-jin, left and Han Ji-min star in “Yi San,” which traces the love between King Jeongjo (1752-1800) and his childhood friend-turned-concubine. /Courtesy of MBC Historical accounts are usually associated with heavyweight textbooks and a big yawn. But fresh interpretations by hot young actors are sending viewers on a delightful blast to the past through television. Monarchs are far from middle-aged, bald and pot-bellied _ young, sexy and love struck kings and court ladies dazzle in period pieces like ``Yi San,'' ``King and I'' and ``The Tudors,'' all sizzling with melodramatic court scandals and clandestine romances. King in Love: ``Yi San'' ``Yi San'' recounts the high-flying life and times of Yi San or King Jeongjo (1752-1800), the 22nd king of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). Lee Byung-hoon, director of international hit ``Jewel in the Palace,'' and Lee Seo-jin, the hero of the phenomenally popular ``Damo'' and ``Phoenix'' have joined their star power in this SBS TV series. The cast and crew garnered much public attention even before it started airing Monday. Korean heartthrob Lee plays the role of the fair and charismatic ruler, who is remembered for reforming the state examination and reviving the Office Land Law (1466), which helped diminish the abusive power of court officials. But the biggest reason to love this good-looking king is his unwavering affection for one woman. The drama develops upon the romance between Jeongjo and his childhood friend-turned concubine Seong, played by the rising starlet Han Ji-min. In addition to the court romance, the drama showcases the grandeur of late 18th century Korean architecture and the lavish culture of royal Joseon. ``Yi San'' will also keep you on the edge of your seat as it recounts the series of assassinations that plagued the royal household. The drama is also expected to realistically depict the changing economic policy of the ``hermit kingdom'' at the turn of the century. Airs 9:55 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays on SBS. The SBS drama “King and I” tells the star-crossed love between a eunuch and a royal concubine during the time of King Seongjong of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). /Courtesy of SBS "King and I”: Korean Eunuch Story How far does one go for love? One man has cast off his manhood for the woman he loves. SBS offers a unique story about a eunuch who would do anything for love. Once childhood friends, Cheoseon, So-hwa and Jaeulsangun reunite in the palace as a eunuch, concubine and king Seongjong (1469-1494). and a shaky love triangle forms. Seong-jong is remembered as an intellectual who loved the arts and literature, as well as a hedonist who loved women, parties and hunting. Unable to have So-hwa as his queen for political reasons, he takes in the love of his life as his favorite concubine. But alas, her heart is not his to take, for it belongs to Cheo-seon who has gladly undergone castration to remain close to the woman he loves. Jealousy grasps a hold of the king, who sentences the woman he could never possess to death, and Cheo-seon, bound by court rules, is doomed to carry out the deed. Young actors smoke and sizzle onscreen, with theater star Oh Man-seok in the role of the selfsacrificing eunuch and rising actors Ku Hye-seon as the beautiful So-hwa and Go Ju-won as the green-eyed king. Airs 9:55 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays on SBS. Henry VIII (1491-1547), the second monarch of England’s House of Tudor, is notorious for marrying six times and beheading several of his wives. But it will become impossible to detest this infamous man when you see him personified by Hollywood favorite Jonathan Rhys Meyers(“Velvet Goldmine,” 1998). “The Tudors,” now playing on cable, traces one of the most scandalous love stories in history between Henry VIII and “Anne of the Thousand Days” (1969). By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter
