Do you remember Jang Geum? The legendary woman who became the first female physician of the King in the classic-historical Korean drama Jewel in the Palace? OG K-drama addicts would know!
Not to make you feel old, but Lee Young Ae, the South Korean actress who portrayed Jang Geum, is confirmed to return with her iconic role as a follow-up series to the hit MBC Drama.
“The blockbuster historical drama ‘Uinyeo Dae Jang Geum’ (romanized title) is gearing up to start filming in October,” Korean entertainment company Fantagio said in a statement, as reported by Soompi.
Moreover, Fantagio said it has recently sealed a contract with a writer for the series, seven months after it confirmed the casting of Lee in the new series.
“With lead actress Lee Young Ae having been cast last year in June, we recently wrapped up signing the contract with the drama scriptwriter.”
According to the K-media outlet, Uinyeo Dae Jang Geum centers on the life story of Jang Geum as she became the king’s first uniyeo (female physician). This also marks the drama’s 20th anniversary after it was aired in 2003.
The series will begin shooting in October, with the goal of airing the show early next year.
Jewel in the Palace, which aired in 2003, follows the journey of Jang-geum, an orphaned girl who rigidly trained to become a king’s physician and surpassed all odds to achieve her dreams.
In a report by The Korea Times, the said drama gained an average viewership rating of 45.8 percent in Korea and became “hugely popular in the country and abroad,” including the Philippines, which aired the Tagalized version in 2005 in GMA Network.
Young Ae recently starred in Maestra: Strings of Truth as Cha Se-Eum, an ex-violinist turned aspiring conductor who “harbors a dangerous secret.” She is also known for her roles in Saimdang, Light’s Diary, Inspector Koo, One Fine Spring Day, and Lady Vengeance.
