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| Taewangsasingi
(Legend) |
From the announcement of the
drama’s creation throughout the broadcasting period,
no other drama has created as great a stir as Taewangsasingi
(Legend). The reunion of Song Ji-na and Kim
Jong-hak, who have both consistently produced masterpieces,
and the leading role played by Bae Yong-jun were
exciting enough to pique the interest of numerous
viewers. However, many were concerned whether the
drama would actually be televised because its airing
date was repeatedly postponed and a broadcasting
station was not settled on. The challenges continued;
members of the crew were injured and the scenario
was revised. Nonetheless, Taewangsasingi
(Legend) finally made its first appearance on September
10, 2007. This much-talked-about production, whose
production process itself was dramatic enough to
be a drama, was a hot topic in the media day
after day for a number of reasons.
Costing
some 43 billion won to make, Taewangsasingi
(Legend) is a “fusion” historical drama that
differs from conventional ones. It is a unique genre
of drama with a touch of fantasy. The costumes are
also quite different from those of traditional historical
dramas. Featuring a scale and content that sets
it apart from conventional dramas, Taewangsasingi
(Legend) became an instant hit among viewers
as soon as it was aired. As for the cast, in addition
to Bae Yong-jun, top-class actors and actresses
such as Mun So-ri, Choi Min-su and Park Sang-won
who would undoubtedly play a leading role in other
dramas or movies willingly took supporting roles
and contributed to the quality of the drama.
At first the program suffered a number of negative
critiques. However, over time the grand scale and
unique storytelling approach captivated viewers,
who became fans of Taewangsasingi (Legend).
Since its storyline is quite complex, you should
try not to miss an episode. The drama gets more
interesting as covert followers of the king are
revealed one by one. |
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| ●
Drama Information |
Directors: Kim
Jong-hak, Yun Sang-ho
Writers: Song Ji-na, Park Kyung-soo
Cast: Bae Yong-jun, Mun so-ri, Lee Ji-ah, Oh Kwang-rok, Choi
Min-su, Park Sang-won, Yoon Tae-woong
Broadcasting Station:
MBC
Aired: September 10, 2007 onward (Wednesdays and Thursdays
/ 24 episodes)
Broadcasting Station homepage: http://www.imbc.com/broad/tv/drama/legend
(Korean)
Drama homepage: http://www.taesagi.com
(Korean), (Taiwanese), (Japanese) |
| ●
Synopsis |
Hwan-ung, the
Son of God, descends to earth and builds a country called Jyusin.
Before the founding of Jyusin, there existed the Tiger
Tribe, which worshipped a tiger, and the Bear Tribe, which worshipped
a bear. Ga-jin, a member of the savage Tiger Tribe who continues
to harass Hwan-ung, and Sae-oh, a member of the Bear Tribe who
falls in love with Hwan-ung, are both Jujak, or gods
of fire. However, the three form a love triangle. Mad with jealousy,
Ga-jin throws the child of Sae-oh and Hwan-ung from a cliff.
Blinded by grief and rage at the loss of her child, Sae-oh sets
the world ablaze. Hwan-ung ultimately kills his love, Sae-oh,
to save the world. Ga-jin also kills herself atop a cliff, and
the tragic love story of the three comes to an end. Later, Hwan-ung
imprisons his followers—Baekho (White Tiger), Cheongnyong (Blue
Dragon), Hyeonmu (Black Turtle), and Jujak (Phoenix)—in objects
and foretells of a new king who will rule Jyusin; who
will be born on the day the stars of Jyusin light the
sky thousands of years later. He then returns to the heavens
after ordering these four gods to awake at the right time and
aid the king of Jyusin.
Thousands of years
later, the stars of Jyusin light up the sky and a son
is born to both the Royal family and the Yeon family, the
highest noble family of the Goguryeo Kingdom. The Crown Prince
Dam-deok pretends to be weak and slow from childhood because
of people’s attempts to harm him. Leading a lonely life in
the palace, Dam-deok befriends Gi-ha, a female priest from the
Hwacheon Group, and Yeon Ho-gae, who was born on the same day
as Dam-deok.
Yeon Ho-gae’s mother, who believes her
son must be the king of Jyusin because he was born
on the day the stars of Jyusin lit up, plots a conspiracy
to poison the king. However, with the help of Gi-ha, Dam-deok
exposes the conspiracy and Yeon Ho-gae’s mother kills herself.
Yeon Ho-gae begins to hate Dam-deok as he learns that Gi-ha,
who he had feelings for, loves Dam-deok and believes that Dam-deok
is responsible for the death of his mother. While fighting the
generals and noblemen of the Hwacheon Group, who try to make
Yeon Ho-gae king, Dam-deok falls victim to a conspiracy. In
the end, Dam-deok’s father is killed and Dam-deok, in the heat
of a crisis, one by one discovers Hyeonmu, Jujak, Baekho and
then Cheongnyong. Is it really possible for Dam-deok to become
king as foretold by destiny thousands of years ago? |
| ●
Characters |
 |
Dam-deok /played
by Bae Yong-jun
Dam-deok is
the king of Jyusin, born as a descendent of God
on the day a king star lights up. He later becomes
the Great King Gwanggaeto of Goguryeo. He is destined
to become king of Jyusin by locating objects in
which Jujak, Hyeonmu, Baekho and Cheongnyong are
confined, and locating their owners.
He is also
a crucial character since the time of Hwan-ung.
He is skilled in martial arts and scholarship, and
also has powerful leadership abilities. He has a strong
sense of justice and does not discriminate against
people. His character is completely different from
preceding kings, as he is also tenderhearted. |
Seo Gi-ha / played
by Mun So-ri
As a female
priest of a tribe that once worshiped a tiger, she
used to be Ga-jin, who was able to control fire.
At that time, as a consequence of her viciousness
and harassment of Hwan-ung, she is stripped of her
fire-controlling ability. In present times, she
is reincarnated as Gi-ha, an older sister of Suzini.
As a child, she is orphaned by the Hwacheonhoe
Group and develops amnesia. Separated from Suzini,
she is raised by the Hwacheon Group, unaware of
her sister’s existence.
At the age of
15, she is taken to the royal palace by the Hwacheon
Group and falls in love with Dam-deok, the descendent
of Hwan-ung. Although she realizes that she is Jujak,
she inevitably shows loyalty to the Hwacheon Group.
Her feminine charm wins her Yeon Ho-gae’s love,
but she is a fierce, stubborn and exceptionally
jealous woman. |
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Suzini / played by Lee Ji-ah
As a reincarnation of Sae-oh, a woman from
the Bear Tribe that worshiped a bear, Suzini had
given birth to Hwan-ung’s son. As a child, she
loses her parents to the Hwacheon Group and becomes
separated from her older sister. Yet, despite this,
she is raised a bright person by the people of Geomul
Village.
Because she grows up in Geomul Village,
where there are no women, she becomes a warrior
skilled in archery, wagering and pickpocketing.
However, she has a good heart and always helps those
in need. She likes to chase after Dam-deok but is
not sensitive enough to recognize her love for him. |
Yeon Ho-gae / played by Yun
Tae-young
Yeon Ho-gae is the son
of Goguryeo’s most noble family. He was born on
the same night as Dam-deok, when the star of Jyusin
lit the sky. Born to a woman who is a sister of
the royal family and a man who is a high nobleman
with the mightiest authority, he is widely accepted
as the king of Jyusin.
Although he has a happy
childhood with Dam-deok and Gi-ha, he learns that
Gi-ha, who he loved, is in love with Dam-deok and
believes that Dam-deok is responsible for the death
of his mother. From then on, he and Dam-deok are
rivals. He is not actually a vicious person, but
he chooses the wrong path because of the circumstances
around him. He is also a romantic who has enduring
love for Gi-ha. |
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| ●
Film Locations |
| Park
Southernland, Jeju Island |
Park Southernland is a set built jointly by Jeju
Island and the production company of Taewangsasingi
(Legend). It is a 20,000-pyeong-site set within
Jeju Island’s Myosanbong Tourist District. It is
a massive set that cost over 13 billion won to build.
The set has a king’s palace, which is a major filming
location for Taewangsasingi (Legend), a
king’s office and bedroom, gaekjan (an
old-fashioned restaurant serving food and drink),
shops and markets and ordinary houses. Among these,
the marketplace and the residence of Yeon Ga-ryeo,
Goguryeo’s highest nobleman, are the most eye-catching.
They aptly display the prosperity and lavishness
of the Goguryeo Kingdom.
The outdoor sets are
currently open to the public, though the indoor
sets are closed. After the filming of Taewangsasingi
(Legend) was completed, the site was used to
film ‘Full House 2‘. |
Admission:
Adults 19 and over: 8,000 won; Teenagers 12–18:
6,000 won; Children 5–11: 4,000 won
Hours:
09:00–18:00
Korea Travel Phone: +82-64-1330
(Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)
Telephone:
Park Southernland +82-64-782-9471
Homepage:
http://www.parksouthernland.co.kr/
Directions: Gimpo Airport → Take a flight
to Jeju International Airport → At Jeju International
Airport, take a bus bound for the inter-city bus
terminal → At the inter-city bus terminal, take
a bus bound for Hamdeok via Donghae Route Tour Road
→ Get off at Hamdeok and take a taxi (about 20
minutes to Park Southernland)
* Public
transportation takes much longer and it can be difficult
for foreign tourists to find their way. Therefore,
if you are travelling to Jeju on your own, it is
more convenient to rent a car or hire a taxi for
the tour. |
→
For more information, click here! |
| Naju
Samhanji Theme Park |
| Naju Shamhanji Theme Park is a place where many
scenes of the Buyeo Kingdom, including Buyeogung Palace,
an ironware factory and downtown area, were filmed
for Jumong, which is a hit drama that was recently
televised. Built on a 450,000-pyeong site, the large-scale
set cost over 18 billion won to create and was also
used to film Taewangsasingi (Legend). Both
the famous scenes featuring Dam-deok, as a child,
visiting an old lady at a natural dye plant, trying
his hand at dyeing, and then playing a soldier-like Dam-deok riding a horse through a
vast field were filmed here. It is a well-known
fact that the actors and crew who were filming
at Jeju would make a five-hour boat trip to Naju
to shoot here. During filming, Japanese fans came
to Naju to observe from a distance. |
Korea Travel
Phone: +82-61-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)
Hours: 09:00–18:00 (* The set is not open to the
public during filming, so be sure to check the schedule
in advance.)
Admission: Adults 19 years and
over: 3,000 won; Teenagers 13–19: 2,500 won; Children
6–12: 500 won
Directions: Take bus #160 in front
of Gwangju Bus Terminal → Get off at Yeongsanpo
Terminal and transfer to the bus bound for Gongsanmyeon
(every 15 minutes) → Get off at Gongsanmyeon and
take a taxi to the theme park (fare: 5,000 won)
* There is a bus from Gongsanmyeon to Samhanji
Theme Park, but it does not come often, and it is
difficult to transfer. A taxi is a more convenient
means of transportation. |
→
For more information, click here! |
| Goguryeo
Blacksmith Village, Guri |
Built on a 4,990-㎡ site in Acheon-dong Wuminae,
Guri-si, Goguryeo Blacksmith Village has a Goguryeo
steel mill, Malgal/Georan Tribe’s steel mill structures,
the house of the Geomul Village chief, and a Mongolian
village. It cost about 2.2 billion won to construct
the set. Designed as an ecological space built mostly
with stone and wood, it is the only Goguryeo blacksmith
village in Korea and boasts Korea’s largest water
mill and brick oven. It resembles an actual blacksmith’s
shop as water falls from a water mill with a seven-meter
diameter and the brick oven is two stories tall.
Scenes of the daily life of Goguryeo citizens
were filmed here, including scenes of the blacksmith
village. Once the filming of Taewangsasingi
(Legend) was completed, it was transformed into
Korea’s first Goguryeo Folk Village. An exhibition
hall displaying ancient ironware culture was
built. The site has been open to the public since
December, once filming was completed. |
Korea Travel
Phone: +82-31-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)
Address: 42-1 Acheon-dong san, Guri-si
Directions: Get off at Gwangnaru Station on subway
line 5 → Take a taxi in front of Gwangnaru Station,
exit 3 (about 10 minutes) |
→
For more information, click here! |
| Anmyeondo
Island Open Set |
About two billion won was invested to build the
Anmyeondo Island Open Set on a site spanning 9,744-㎡
in Nudong-ri, Gonam-myeon, Taean-gun. The set houses
military tents for field operations led by the great
King Gwanggaeto. The place was used mainly to film
glorious battle scenes first introduced in episode
15. Scenes of Goguryeo armored warriors bravely
riding horses were filmed here.
The new, tough
image of Dam-deok, who appeared rather gentle at
the beginning of the drama, attracted attention.
In particular, a spectacular battle scene from the
final episode was filmed at Anmyeondo. Computer
graphics as well as about 1,000 extras created a
fantastic scene. |
Korea Travel
Phone: +82-41-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)
Address: Nudong-ri, Gonam-myeon, Taean-gun, Chungcheongnam-do
Directions:
Get off at Nambu Terminal Station
on subway line 3 → Go to Gate 5 at Nambu Bus Terminal
and take a bus to Anmyeondo (11 times daily at 06:40,
07:20, 08:40, 09:20, 10:00, 11:20, 11:50, 12:30,
14:00, 15:00, 16:00; duration: 3 hours; fare: 9,400
won) → In front of Anmyeondo Bus Terminal, take
a city bus bound for Nudong-ri or take a taxi
Get off at Express Bus Terminal Station on subway
line 3 or 7 → Take a bus bound for Anmyeondo at
the Express Bus Terminal (four times daily at 07:20,10:50,
13:40, 17:40; duration: 2 hours; fare: 9,400 won)
→ In front of Anmyeondo Bus Terminal, take a city
bus bound for Nudong-ri or take a taxi |
→
For more information, click here! |
| Wando
Sosepo Open Set |
| Wando Sosepo Open Set is where scenes of a shipyard
that built ships during the years of the great King
Gwanggaeto were filmed. This place is more famous
as a filming location for 'Emperor of the Sea’
as its major scenes were filmed here. A 16,000-pyeong
site houses a variety of sets, including a dock,
ships, inns, and military quarters. The complex
is designed to recreate various scenes from the
Tang Dynasty period. A number of historic dramas
have been filmed here. In addition to Sosepo Village,
where Taewangsasingi (Legend) was filmed,
the Shilla Village set in the east has private houses
and taverns. |
Korea Travel
Phone: +82-61-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)
Directions: Gwangju Express Bus Terminal→ Take
an inter-city bus bound for Gangjin (1 hour 30 minutes)
or an inter-city bus bound for Haenam (1 hour 40
minutes) → Transfer to a bus bound for Wando Wondong
Terminal and get off at Wando Wondong Terminal (40
minutes) → Take a bus bound for Seobu at Wando
Wondong Terminal (20 minutes) → Get off at Sosepo
Cheonghae Village |
→
For more information, click here! |
| Source:
iMBC, CINE21 |
