Series synopsis
Jewel in the Crown is a South Korean drama television series that premiered on MBC on March 22, 2010. It ended on October 12, 2010. It was created by Kim Yi-young. It stars Han Hyo-joo, Park Ha-seon, Jeong Dong-hwan and Ji Jin-hee.
Set during the reign of King Sukjong in the Joseon dynasty, the story focuses on Dong Yi, a water maid who gains the trust of Queen Inhyeon and later the favour of the king when he is moved by her prayers for the health of the Queen during the court disputes caused by Jang Hee Bin. Dong Yi becomes a concubine with the rank of sook-bin and bears a son who will later become the 21st king of Joseon, Yeongjo.
Premise
Set during the reign of King Sukjong in the Joseon dynasty, the story focuses on Dong Yi, a water maid who gains the trust of Queen Inhyeon and later the favour of the king when he is moved by her prayers for the health of the Queen during the court disputes caused by Jang Hee Bin. Dong Yi becomes a concubine with the rank of sook-bin and bears a son who will later become the 21st king of Joseon, Yeongjo.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Han Hyo-joo as Dong Yi
- Park Ha-seon as Queen Inhyeon
- Jeong Dong-hwan as Oh Tae-suk
- Ji Jin-hee as King Sukjong
- Lee So-yeon as Jang Hee-Bin
- Bae Soo-bin as Cha Jeon-Soo
- Jung Jin-young
- Kim You-jung as Dong Yi (young)
Supporting cast
- Lee Kwang-soo as Yeong-dal
- Kim Dong-yoon as Shim Woon-taek
- Yeo Hyun-soo as Ge Dwo-ra
- Oh Yeon-seo as Queen Inwon
- Choi Cheol-ho as Oh Yun
- Nam Da-reum as Prince Eunpyeong
- Jeong Yu-mi as Jung Eum
- Kwon Hae-sung as Cha Soo-taek
- Kim Woo-seok as [Servant]
- Park Jung-soo as Queen Myeongseong
- Son Il-kwon as Hong Tae-yoon
Episodes
This series spans 2 seasons with 60 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 0 | ||
| Season 1 | 60 | March 22, 2010 | October 12, 2010 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Start of a Tragedy The story begins in 1681, 7th year of King Sukjong. Dong Yi lives with her father and brother in a slave village. They are the members of Sword Fraternity, which is the organisation made up of the lowest class people. Then, a high ranking government officer from Southern Faction was assassinated. After that, Dong Yi finds the assassin ID and hand it to the police. But, it belongs to a corrupt policeman who worked for Oh Tae Seok. He is arrested, but gets killed in his prison cell. Dong Yi's father has the information, so Oh Tae Seok's masked man try to kill him but he gets saved by his friend, Cheon Soo. When they get home, Dong Yi is not there. |
March 22, 2010 |
| 2 |
The Framing of Sword Fraternity Oh Tae Seok wants to frame Sword Fraternity for the murders of Southern Faction and the police officer. Chief Seo asks his father to speak to the king about opening the investigation again. But, King Sukjong is at his father's grave. So, Chief Seo's father goes to visit him there. The Sword Fraternity realise that Oh Tae Seok is planning something. They rush to stop it, but all of them are dead. The corrupt police tries to frame them, but they manage to escape. Meanwhile, Dong Yi finds herself in a noble lady's house. Dong Yi prepares to do the greeting, but her father refuses to let her go. But Dong Yi sneaks away. She has to greet Oh Tae Seok. He then realises who she is and ask his men to kill her. But, Cheun Soo saves her. Then, a member of Sword Fraternity betrays them and leads to the arrest of Dong Yi's father and brother. |
March 23, 2010 |
| 3 |
The Rescue Mission Dong Yi's father and brother are taken into custody. Dong Yi is taken to a fortune teller's place. He predicts she will be the leader of Sword Fraternity. Oh Tae Seok announces that Dong Yi's father and brother will be executed the next day. Some evidence has been found in the Sword Fraternity headquarters to prove that they are guilty. Cheun Soo and members of Sword Fraternity make plans to free Dong Yi's father and brother. Dong Yi sees a young aristocrat lady do the same hand signal that the dying official has showed at the riverside. The escape plan works, but they get chased and killed. Dong Yi hears that her father has escaped and runs to find her. But, she only sees corpses and the embroidered purse she has given to her father. |
March 29, 2010 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | MBC |
|---|---|
| First aired | March 22, 2010 |
| Last aired | October 12, 2010 |
| Runtime | 65 minutes |
| Status | Ended |
| Schedule | Monday, Tuesday at 21:55:00 |