Jumong (TV series)
Jumong (Korean: 삼한지: 주몽 편) is a epic South Korean historical series that aired on MBC from 2006 to 2007 as the network's 45th anniversary special. Originally scheduled for 60 episodes, MBC extended it to 81 because of its popularity.
| Jumong | |
|---|---|
Promotional poster | |
| Also known as |
|
| Hangul | 삼한지: 주몽 편 |
| Hanja | 三韓志: 朱蒙篇 |
| Literal meaning | The Book of the Three Hans: The Chapter of Jumong |
| Revised Romanization | Samhanji: Jumong Pyeon |
| Genre | |
| Written by |
|
| Directed by | Lee Joo-hwan |
| Starring | |
| Theme music composer | Oh Joon-sung |
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Original language | Korean |
| No. of episodes | 60 (extended to 81) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Kim Tae-hoon |
| Producer | Kim Tae-hoon |
| Running time | 65 minutes |
| Production companies | Chorokbaem Media Olive9 |
| Release | |
| Original network | MBC TV |
| Picture format | Satellite TV |
| Audio format | Satellite TV |
| Original release | 15 May 2006 – 6 March 2007 |
The series examines the life of Jumong, founder of the kingdom of Goguryeo. The fantastic elements surrounding the original Jumong legend (such as those concerning his birth) have been replaced with events more grounded in reality. Jumong is considered part of the Korean Wave (Hallyu), with viewer ratings in Iran exceeding 80 percent.[1]
Plot
Following the conquest of Gojoseon by Han China in 108 BCE, the surviving tribes and city-states of Manchuria and the northern Korean Peninsula are harshly subjugated as tributaries to the Han, who are portrayed as ruling with an iron fist from the Four Commanderies. Haemosu, the leader of the local resistance in the form of the Damul Army, covertly teams up with Prince Geumwa of Buyeo to defend and rescue Gojoseon refugees throughout the land. After being injured in a battle, Haemosu is rescued by Lady Yuhwa of the Habaek tribe (to whom Geumwa has taken a fancy), and they fall in love. Haemosu is subsequently ambushed and captured by Han forces (and after falling off a cliff is presumed dead by the outside world), and Lady Yuhwa is forced to seek shelter in Buyeo, where she becomes Geumwa's concubine and gives birth to a son, Jumong. They maintain that Geumwa is Jumong's father, when in fact Haemosu is his father.
Twenty years later, the young Jumong is a weak and cowardly prince overshadowed and scorned by his elder "half-brothers" Daeso and Youngpo, who are vying for inheritance of the Buyeo throne from their father (the now-King Geumwa). Because they believe Jumong is Geumwa's son, they assume that he has a justifiable claim to the throne, and their mother's hatred of Lady Yuhwa reinforces a feud between the half-brothers who aren't really brothers at all. This culminates in an assassination attempt by his brothers, setting in motion a sequence of events that leads to Jumong leaving the palace and, by a twist of fate, encounters his father, the now-elderly and blind Haemosu. Jumong becomes skilled in combat under Haemosu's covert tutelage, but is unaware of their father-son relationship. At the same time, Jumong forms a close relationship with Lady Soseono of the Gyeru trading clan of Jolbon. Following Haemosu's assassination by Daeso and Youngpo, Jumong learns the truth and vows to avenge his father and drive out the Han. He returns to Geumwa and leads the Buyeo army in a campaign against the Lintun and Zhenfan Commanderies, but is reported missing in action and presumed dead following an injury in battle. Subsequently, Daeso seizes power in Buyeo by colluding with Xuantu Commandery and forces Soseono to be his wife. In desperation, Soseono weds her trading partner Wootae (not knowing Jumong is still alive). Jumong, however, is rescued by the Hanbaek tribe and nursed back to health by Lady Yesoya, whom he weds. They return to Buyeo and Jumong feigns servitude to Daeso, thereby earning his trust. With Daeso's guard down, Jumong and his men manage to intercept and lead a large group of Gojoseon refugees into the wilds of Mount Bongye, where they establish a fortress and re-form the Damul Army, against Daeso's wishes, who holds Lady Yuhwa and a pregnant Yesoya hostage in the palace. After a solar eclipse, Geumwa regains the power with the help of the Prime Minister. He tries to convince Jumong to come back to palace and disband the Damul Army as part of the conditions given by the Prime minister in exchange for his reinstatement. Jumong refuses the offer and the Prime Minister tries to eliminate him and his men.
Over the next three years, the Damul Army grows and begins uniting various local tribes, to the discomfort of Buyeo and Han. Following Wootae's death in battle, Jumong and Soseono form an alliance and unite the five clans of Jolbon and the Damul Army into a single powerful entity, which succeeds in conquering the Xuantu Commandery and establishing the Kingdom of Goguryeo. When Yesoya and Yuri are reported missing from Buyeo (and presumed dead), a grieving Jumong weds Soseono and they become King and Queen of the new nation.
After ruling Goguryeo for fifteen years, Jumong succeeds in reuniting with Yesoya and Yuri (who had been living in exile after escaping from the palace). Following Geumwa's assassination by Han mercenaries, the newly-crowned King Daeso forms an alliance with Jumong, and the combined armies of Goguryeo and Buyeo succeed in conquering Liaodong Commandery with utter annihilation of the Han army in Manchuria. With Jumong's lifelong mission finally complete and in order to prevent internal strife due to Yuri's return, Soseono departs from Goguryeo and heads south with the pro-Jolbon faction and her teenage sons Biryu and Onjo, who subsequently becomes the founder of the Kingdom of Baekje on the Korean Peninsula. Buyeo eventually collapses following the battlefield death of Daeso at the hands of Jumong's grandson Muhyul. Jumong continues battling against Han China to consolidate his realm, and dies at the age of 40 after passing the crown of Goguryeo to Yuri.
Cast
- Song Il-kook as Jumong
- Han Hye-jin as Soseono
- Kim Seung-soo as Prince Daeso
- Jun Kwang-ryul as King Geumwa
- Oh Yeon-soo as Lady Yuhwa
- Kyeon Mi-ri as Queen Wonhu
- Song Ji-hyo as Ye So-ya
- Park Tam-hee as Yang Seo-ran
- Ahn Yong-joon as Yuri
- Jung Yoon-seok as young Yuri
- Kim Byung-ki as Yeon Ta-bal
- Jin Hee-kyung as High Priestess Yeo Mi-eul
- Lee Jae-yong as Prime Minister Bu Deuk-bul
- Huh Joon-ho as Hae Mosu
- Won Ki-joon as Prince Youngpo
- Bae Soo-bin as Sa-yong
- Kang Eun-tak as Chan-soo
- Im So-yeong as Bu-young
- Yoon Dong-hwan as Yang-jung
- Oh Uk-chul as Lord Hwang
- Yeo Ho-min as Oh-i
- Ahn Jeong-hoon as Ma-ri
- Im Dae-ho as Hyeop-bo
- Lee Kye-in as Mo Pal-mo
- Seo Beom-sik as Moo-gol
- Kim Min-chan as Mook-geo
- Cha Kwang-soo as Jae-sa
- Park Kyung-hwan as Bu Beon-no
- Park Nam-hyeon as Na-ru
- Jeong Ho-bin as Wutae
- Lee Jae-suk as Biryu
- Kim Seok as Onjo
- Lee Won-jae as Do-chi
- Kwon Yong-woon as Moo-song
- Oh Ji-young as Jong-go
- Jo Myung-jin as Mu-duk
- Lee Seung-ah as Chun-rang
- Han Hee-jin as In-rang
- Kim Nan-hee as Ji-rang
- Min Ji-young as courtesan
- Kim Ho-young as Ma-ga
- Kim Won-suk as Song-joo
- Son Ho-kyoon as Heuk-chi
- No Hee-ji as So-ryeong
- Jeong Han-heon as Kye-pil
- Jang Hyo-jin as Baek Sun-in
- Hwang Bum-sik as Jin-yong
- Park Jong-kwan as Song-yang
- Bae Do-hwan as Tae Ma-jin
- Baek Na-young as Yeon Chae-ryeong
- Kim Jin-ho as Yang-tak
- Ha Yong-jin as Dong-sun
- Yoon Seo-hyun as Han-dang
- Lee Hwan as Sang-chun
- Han Kyung-sun as court lady
- Yoo Hee-jung as court lady
- Song Gui-hun as Bul-gae
- Kwon Eun-ha as Mauryeong
- Kang Moon-hee as Hyun-moo
- Dan So-young as Yoo-sung
- Jeon Ha-eun as Byeo Ri-ha
- Lee Sung as Hae Byeol-chan
- Hong Soon-chang as Jin Joong-moon
- Lee Chang-hwan as head of a tribe
- Park Geun-hyung as King Hae Buru
- Shin Joon-young as Bae-mang
- Han In-su as head of a tribe
- Kim Yong-hee as Sul-tak
- Oh Seung-yun as Chun-doong
- Son Sun-geun as Man-ho
- Lee Won-yong as fortune-teller
- Moon Hee-won as former Governor-general
- Yun Yong-hyeon as Boo Wiyeom
- Jang Hee-woong as Ha Hoo-chun
- Samuel Kang as warrior
Production
Jumong was filmed on location at Yongin Daejanggeum Park in Cheoin District, Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, where other period dramas (such as Dong Yi, Moon Embracing the Sun and Queen Seondeok) were also filmed.[2]
Ratings
Jumong received the highest viewership ratings of all the Korean dramas that aired in 2006.[3]
| Date | Episode | Nationwide | Seoul |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-05-15 | 1 | 16.3% (3rd) | 17.5% (3rd) |
| 2006-05-16 | 2 | 18.4% (3rd) | 19.2% (3rd) |
| 2006-05-22 | 3 | 21.8% (1st) | 23.6% (1st) |
| 2006-05-23 | 4 | 25.3% (2nd) | 26.6% (2nd) |
| 2006-05-29 | 5 | 28.0% (1st) | 29.9% (1st) |
| 2006-05-30 | 6 | 28.7% (1st) | 29.6% (1st) |
| 2006-06-05 | 7 | 27.9% (1st) | 29.2% (1st) |
| 2006-06-06 | 8 | 32.3% (1st) | 33.7% (1st) |
| 2006-06-20 | 9 | 29.4% (1st) | 30.7% (1st) |
| 2006-06-26 | 10 | 33.2% (1st) | 35.3% (1st) |
| 2006-06-27 | 11 | 32.9% (1st) | 34.8% (1st) |
| 2006-07-03 | 12 | 36.4% (1st) | 38.1% (1st) |
| 2006-07-04 | 13 | 37.6% (1st) | 38.8% (1st) |
| 2006-07-10 | 14 | 35.8% (1st) | 37.5% (1st) |
| 2006-07-11 | 15 | 37.2% (1st) | 38.8% (1st) |
| 2006-07-17 | 16 | 40.1% (1st) | 42.8% (1st) |
| 2006-07-18 | 17 | 38.7% (1st) | 39.9% (1st) |
| 2006-07-24 | 18 | 39.6% (1st) | 41.1% (1st) |
| 2006-07-25 | 19 | 39.9% (1st) | 40.5% (1st) |
| 2006-07-31 | 20 | 35.1% (1st) | 36.1% (1st) |
| 2006-08-01 | 21 | 36.8% (1st) | 38.2% (1st) |
| 2006-08-07 | 22 | 37.3% (1st) | 37.9% (1st) |
| 2006-08-08 | 23 | 37.4% (1st) | 38.9% (1st) |
| 2006-08-14 | 24 | 35.5% (1st) | 35.8% (1st) |
| 2006-08-15 | 25 | 39.3% (1st) | 40.7% (1st) |
| 2006-08-21 | 26 | 38.1% (1st) | 39.6% (1st) |
| 2006-08-22 | 27 | 39.5% (1st) | 40.0% (1st) |
| 2006-08-28 | 28 | 40.3% (1st) | 41.7% (1st) |
| 2006-08-29 | 29 | 40.3% (1st) | 40.9% (1st) |
| 2006-09-04 | 30 | 39.7% (1st) | 40.6% (1st) |
| 2006-09-05 | 31 | 40.3% (1st) | 41.4% (1st) |
| 2006-09-11 | 32 | 39.3% (1st) | 40.6% (1st) |
| 2006-09-12 | 33 | 38.5% (1st) | 39.2% (1st) |
| 2006-09-18 | 34 | 39.5% (1st) | 40.3% (1st) |
| 2006-09-19 | 35 | 43.0% (1st) | 43.9% (1st) |
| 2006-09-25 | 36 | 42.8% (1st) | 43.9% (1st) |
| 2006-09-26 | 37 | 43.6% (1st) | 44.4% (1st) |
| 2006-10-02 | 38 | 42.6% (1st) | 43.2% (1st) |
| 2006-10-03 | 39 | 44.9% (1st) | 44.8% (1st) |
| 2006-10-09 | 40 | 44.2% (1st) | 45.0% (1st) |
| 2006-10-10 | 41 | 43.6% (1st) | 43.8% (1st) |
| 2006-10-16 | 42 | 43.1% (1st) | 43.6% (1st) |
| 2006-10-17 | 43 | 42.4% (1st) | 42.2% (1st) |
| 2006-10-23 | 44 | 44.5% (1st) | 45.4% (1st) |
| 2006-10-24 | 45 | 45.0% (1st) | 45.2% (1st) |
| 2006-10-30 | 46 | 44.6% (1st) | 45.1% (1st) |
| 2006-10-31 | 47 | 43.8% (1st) | 43.7% (1st) |
| 2006-11-06 | 48 | 46.6% (1st) | 47.9% (1st) |
| 2006-11-07 | 49 | 47.2% (1st) | 48.3% (1st) |
| 2006-11-13 | 50 | 43.6% (1st) | 43.5% (1st) |
| 2006-11-14 | 51 | 48.1% (1st) | 49.2% (1st) |
| 2006-11-20 | 52 | 44.8% (1st) | 45.4% (1st) |
| 2006-11-21 | 53 | 44.0% (1st) | 44.5% (1st) |
| 2006-11-27 | 54 | 45.1% (1st) | 45.2% (1st) |
| 2006-11-28 | 55 | 44.4% (1st) | 44.9% (1st) |
| 2006-12-04 | 56 | 44.0% (1st) | 44.4% (1st) |
| 2006-12-05 | 57 | 42.9% (1st) | 43.2% (1st) |
| 2006-12-11 | 58 | 46.4% (1st) | 46.1% (1st) |
| 2006-12-12 | 59 | 41.5% (1st) | 42.6% (1st) |
| 2006-12-18 | 60 | 44.4% (1st) | 45.3% (1st) |
| 2006-12-19 | 61 | 46.6% (1st) | 47.1% (1st) |
| 2007-01-01 | 62 | 44.8% (1st) | 45.8% (1st) |
| 2007-01-02 | 63 | 45.2% (1st) | 45.3% (1st) |
| 2007-01-08 | 64 | 45.5% (1st) | 45.4% (1st) |
| 2007-01-09 | 65 | 46.8% (1st) | 47.1% (1st) |
| 2007-01-15 | 66 | 46.8% (1st) | 47.5% (1st) |
| 2007-01-16 | 67 | 47.1% (1st) | 47.9% (1st) |
| 2007-01-22 | 68 | 49.8% (1st) | 50.5% (1st) |
| 2007-01-23 | 69 | 42.0% (1st) | 43.6% (1st) |
| 2007-01-29 | 70 | 47.9% (1st) | 48.3% (1st) |
| 2007-01-30 | 71 | 50.3% (1st) | 51.0% (1st) |
| 2007-02-05 | 72 | 47.1% (1st) | 48.5% (1st) |
| 2007-02-06 | 73 | 46.0% (1st) | 47.2% (1st) |
| 2007-02-12 | 74 | 47.6% (1st) | 48.1% (1st) |
| 2007-02-13 | 75 | 47.1% (1st) | 47.8% (1st) |
| 2007-02-19 | 76 | 41.9% (1st) | 42.1% (1st) |
| 2007-02-20 | 77 | 49.7% (1st) | 49.9% (1st) |
| 2007-02-26 | 78 | 47.2% (1st) | 47.1% (1st) |
| 2007-02-27 | 79 | 50.6% (1st) | 50.9% (1st) |
| 2007-03-05 | 80 | 49.8% (1st) | 50.0% (1st) |
| 2007-03-06 | 81 | 51.9% (1st) | 52.7% (1st) |
| Average | 40.98% | 41.83% | |
Awards and nominations
| Award | Category | Recipients | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MBC Drama Awards | Grand Prize (Daesang) | Song Il-gook | Won | [4] |
| Drama of the Year | Jumong | Nominated | ||
| Director of the Year | Lee Joo-hwan | Won | ||
| Writer(s) of the Year | Choi Wan-kyu and Jung Hyung-soo | Won | ||
| Top Excellence Award, Actor | Jun Kwang-ryul | Won | ||
| Song Il-gook | Won | |||
| Top Excellence Award, Actress | Han Hye-jin | Won | ||
| Oh Yeon-soo | Nominated | |||
| Excellence Award, Actor | Kim Seung-soo | Won | ||
| Special Award, Actor in a Historical Drama | Heo Joon-ho | Won | ||
| Special Award, Actress in a Historical Drama | Oh Yeon-soo | Won | ||
| Special Award, Veteran Actor | Lee Kye-in | Won | ||
| Best New Actor | Won Ki-joon | Won | ||
| Baeksang Arts Awards | Grand Prize (Daesang) | Jumong | Won | |
| Best Drama | Nominated | [5] | ||
| Best Director | Lee Joo-hwan | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor | Song Il-gook | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress | Han Hye-jin | Nominated | ||
| Best Screenplay | Choi Wan-kyu and Jung Hyung-soo | Won | ||
| Best New Actress | Song Ji-hyo | Nominated | ||
| Korea Drama Awards | Best Drama | Jumong | Won | |
| Seoul International Drama Awards | Best Actor | Song Il-gook | Nominated | [6] |
International broadcast
Broadcast rights for Jumong were sold to Iran (Channel 3), Turkey, Romania (TVR1), Kazakhstan, Georgia (Imedi TV), Armenia, Japan (Fuji TV), Mongolia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam (VTV1), Singapore (Mediacorp Channel U), Indonesia, Thailand (Channel 3), Malaysia, Brunei, Philippines (GMA Network), Fiji (Fiji One), Iraqi Kurdistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Cambodia (Cambodian Television Network), United States (AZN Television), Myanmar (Myawaddy TV & MRTV-4), and Sri Lanka (Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation).[7][8][9][10]
According to Reuters the most popular episodes of Jumong attracted over 90% of Iranian audience (compared to 40% in South Korea), propelling its lead actor Song Il-gook to superstar status in Iran.[11]
Hong Kong broadcast controversy
Asia Television bought the Hong Kong broadcast rights; however, controversy surrounding its translation escalated debate about ATV's editorial independence in news and drama. The controversy primarily surrounded the cutting of certain segments,[12] the alternative translation of place names and the alternative of a character's occupation. The changing of the word "nation" (in reference to Goguryeo) to "tribe" and the translation of the Han Dynasty as the "heavenly dynasty" has generated controversy about the station's editorial independence. This is related to controversies involving the governments of China and South Korea over the version of history of Goguryeo.
References
- ^ Song, Sang-ho (10 August 2011). "Korea's mark on an expectation-defying Iran". The Korea Herald. from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ^ Lee, Cin Woo (16 March 2012). . CNN Go. Archived from the original on 21 April 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
- ^ "TNS Media Korea". from the original on 2014-12-28. Retrieved 2010-05-30.
- ^ Chung, Ah-young (1 January 2007). "Broadcasters Award Top-Rated Dramas". The Korea Times via Hancinema. from the original on 7 September 2008. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
- ^ Pais, Jon (27 April 2007). . Twitch Film. Archived from the original on 19 October 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
- ^ "송일국, 日기무라 타쿠야와 SDA 남자배우상 경합". starnews. from the original on 2017-09-10. Retrieved 2017-09-10.
- ^ "Popular historical TV drama has raked in $50 million". The Hankyoreh. 3 March 2007. from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
- ^ "Jumong to Air in Japan". KBS Global. 21 March 2007. from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
- ^ "Special Meeting At Japanese Fuji TV About Drama Jumong". Broasia via Hancinema. 25 April 2007. from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
- ^ Reyna, Trixie (6 January 2007). "JUMONG: Korea's No. 1 series For 2006 now on GMA-7". The Philippine Star. from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
- ^ . Allkpop. Archived from the original on 1 April 2010. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
- ^ [Korean drama attracts controversy for denigrating Chinese people. Net users calls for boycott] (in Chinese). 6 February 2007. Archived from the original on 10 October 2007.