Saturday, May 30, 2015

“The King’s Doctor” a.k.a “Horse Doctor” synopsis by episode (Eps. 1-50, no spoilers)



“The King’s Doctor” (a.k.a “Horse Doctor”) is a 2012 Koreanovela that has become a hit in Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, and Indonesia. It will be aired on GMA7 in late June.

Leading the cast are Jo Seung-woo (“Baek Kwang-hyun”), Lee Yo-won (“Kang Ji-nyeong”), Son Chang-min (“Lee Myung-hwan”), Yoo Sun (“Jang In-joo”), Lee Sang-woo (“Lee Sung-ha”), Han Sang-jin (“King Hyeonjong”), and Kim So-eun (“Princess Sukhwi”). Jo Seung-woo won the Top Excellence Award in the MBC Drama Awards and the Grand Prize in Daesang. In the MBC Drama Awards, Lee Sang-woo won the Excellence Award while Kim So-eun won as Best New Actress.
Jump to A. Synopsis of Episode 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18; 19; 20; 21; 22; 23; 24; 25; 26; 27; 28; 29; 30; 31; 32; 33; 34; 35; 36; 37; 38; 39; 40; 41; 42; 43; 44; 45; 46; 47; 48; 49; 50; B. How I made these synopses spoiler-free; C. Princess Sukhwi will steal your heart: her funniest, cutest, and heartbreaking scenes; D. Parallels between “The King’s Doctor” and other Koreanovelas; E. Free interactive English grammar and vocabulary exercises based on “The King’s Doctor” and other Korean historical dramas (external link); F. Photography lessons from “The King’s Doctor”

How I wrote these synopses with no spoilers

1. I assumed that you will be reading these synopses and watching the videos chronologically.

2. I narrated some of the main actions in each episode without revealing the plot’s twists and turns.

3. At the beginning of each synopsis beginning with Episode 2, I placed in a table a summary of the events in the previous episode. But because you have already watched the video of the previous episode, they are no longer spoilers.

For example, in the synopsis for Episode 1, I didn’t write anything about how and why the friendship among Kang Dojun, Myung-hwan, and Inju ended. But in the synopsis for Episode 2, I wrote how and why that friendship ended.

Another example: In the synopsis for Episode 14, I wrote that Myung-hwan’s men kidnapped Kwang-hyun, but I didn’t reveal what exactly they did to him. In the table that begins the synopsis of Episode 15, I wrote exactly what Myung-hwan’s men did to Kwang-hyun.

Episode 1


Kang Dojun belongs to an aristocratic and prominent clan from which several members have been appointed as ministers in the Royal Court. But instead of preparing himself to become a minister, he is studying medicine because he wants to help the commoners and slaves in Joseon.

While visiting a horse ranch, Kang Dojun is saved from a runaway horse that is charging towards him by Myung-hwan, a horse doctor. Later on in the medical school, he becomes great friends with Myung-hwan (who has been adopted into a noble family) and with nurse Inju. Together, they sneak several times into the hospital library to read rare medical books.

One of the people whom Kang Dojun helps is Seokgu, a slave who witnessed a murder that was committed by a doctor through an acupuncture needle. Seokgu himself was about to be killed by the doctor, but he managed to escape. Kang Dojun meets Seokgu and his pregnant wife by chance and helps them escape. He also delivers their baby.

As the episode ends, Inju tries to protect Kang Dojun’s newly-born child.

Note (funny scene): Kang Dojun and Myung-hwan first meet in the library and introduce themselves to each other.

Episode 2


Episode 1 recap: Myung-hwan was forced to testify against Kang Dojun’s “treasonous intent” against the Crown Prince. Kang Dojun is executed, with his assets confiscated by the court and his family threatened with death or slavery.
The soldiers race toward Kang Dojun’s house to kill his newly-born child if it’s a boy. But the soldiers find out that the child is a girl, and so they take the child into slavery in a government office.

Inju finds out that Seokgu, out of gratitude, had switched his baby girl with Kang Dojun’s son. Seokgu, himself framed for treason, decides to raise the child as his own. Inju tells Seokgu to name the child “Kwang-hyun” as Kang Dojun wanted.

Inju leaves the hospital, unable to accept how Myung-hwan betrayed Kang Dojun.

Twelve years later …

Kwang-hyun has grown up as a headstrong boy who constantly tries to escape from the boredom of the island where Seokgu has raised him. He wants go to the capital and experience its excitements. He refuses to listen to Seokgu’s pleas for him to study the Chinese characters and to learn all he can about medicine.

With help from his teacher, Kwang-hyun escapes from the island and goes to the capital. But he loses his pack and his teacher’s possessions to a gang of street children led by Yongdal.

Myung-hwan has become a high-ranking and well-respected official in the Royal Pharmacy. His students are touched by his personal interest in them. Even the King listens to him. But his world seems about to collapse on him when the King says that he wants to investigate the Crown Prince’s death 20 years ago. The doctor who used him to frame Kang Dojun also threatens to turn against him.

Myung-hwan orders his men to kidnap the doctor and to bring him to their mountain hideout. But unknown to him and his men, Kwang-hyun and Yongdal are in the hideout and seeing everything that’s happening.

Episode 3


Episode 2 recap: Myung-hwan was also forced to take part in killing the Crown Prince through the use of heated acupuncture needles.
Myung-hwan’s men chase after Kwang-hyun and Yongdal, who escape by jumping into the river. But Yongdal doesn’t know how to swim and nearly drowns.

After Kwang-hyun and Seokgu are reunited in the capital, they plan to move to another island. But Seokgu changes his mind when he learns that the King has pardoned Kang Dojun and has restored his family’s status and wealth. He begins thinking that this is Kwang-hyun’s opportunity to reclaim his noble status.

When Yongdal gets captured by Myung-hwan’s men, Kwang-hyun and her friends rescue her. But as Kwang-hyun and Yongdal escape, they are cornered by one of Myung-hwan’s men.

Seokgu, Kwang-hyun, and Yongdal are then chased by soldiers. Seokgu gets hit in the chest with an arrow, and they hide in a cave. Kwang-hyun and Yongdal decide to look for a doctor. But Yongdal later on gets captured by the soldiers.

Note (touching scene): Seokgu has not forgotten his baby girl whom he sacrificed to save Kwang-hyun. He secretly visits the government office where his baby was taken into slavery.

Episode 4


Episode 3 recap: Myung-hwan finds out that Yongdal is actually Kang Dojun’s missing heir. Yongdal escaped from the government agency where she was taken into slavery twelve years ago. She then began posing as a boy because there were wanted posters against her.
Kwang-hyun finds his father dead inside the cave. His father had written the name “Kang Dojun” on the ground with his own blood. He covers his father’s body with leaves and promises to come back.

With the soldiers still after him, Kwang-hyun gets cornered on a cliff. He gets hit by an arrow that was fired by one of Myung-hwan’s men, and he topples over the cliff and into the river below. The soldiers report back that he is dead.

Overnight, Yongdal’s fortunes change; she is now a noble and the only heir to immense wealth. To safeguard her assets, the King appoints Myung-hwan as her guardian.

Myung-hwan brings Yongdal to her new home. But she continues to grieve over Kwang-hyun’s death, refusing to throw away the sandal that Kwang-hyun gave her.

Kwang-hyun survives, however, and becomes a slave in a horse ranch. There, he’s befriended and mentored by Kibae (a horse doctor) and his younger brother Jabong. He also meets in the mountain a mysterious doctor who dissects dead animals.

Episode 5


Episode 4 recap: Sungha (Myung-hwan’s son) gets kicked in the chest by Kwang-hyun’s runaway horse. He is treated by Inju (Kang Dojun and Myung-hwan’s friend).

Inju has learned that Kang Dojun’s status has been restored. She is now searching for Kang Dojun’s real heir.
Myung-hwan’s bodyguard, Officer Kang, slashes with his sword the horse that kicked Sungha and then threatens all the people involved.

Kwang-hyun escapes with the wounded horse up to the mountain where he pleads with the mysterious doctor to save the horse. The doctor reluctantly agrees and asks Kwang-hyun to help. Later on, Kwang-hyun returns triumphantly to the ranch with the now-healthy horse.

As a result of this incident, Kwang-hyun becomes fascinated with acupuncture and begins studying it. Yongdal (Jinyung) has also become fascinated with acupuncture after having watched Inju treat Sungha.

Eight years later, Kwang-hyun has become an excellent horse doctor, while Jinyung has finished studying medicine in Qing.

Kwang-hyun and Jabong are in the capital to buy medicines for the horse brought to the ranch from the royal stables. (The horse is meant to be the King’s gift to the Qing Emperor.) At the same time, Jinyung and her friend Princess Sukhwi are wandering incognito around the cosmopolitan area of the capital. After they curiously enter a geisha house, they immediately get accosted by some drunk Japanese men.

Episode 6


Kwang-hyun rescues Jinyung and Princess Sukhwi from the drunk Japanese men. A brawl takes place, and Kwang-hyun, Jabong, Jinyung, and Princess Sukhwi escape from the geisha bar, with the drunken men pursuing them.

After eluding their pursuers, Kwang-hyun scolds Jinyung and Princess Sukhwi, not knowing who they really are. When Princess Sukhwi reveals who she really is, Kwang-hyun and Jabong mock and laugh at her.

Later on, Princess Sukhwi orders the royal guards to arrest Kwang-hyun and Jabong and to bring them to the palace. When Kwang-hyun and Jabong beg her for mercy, she says that she’ll forgive them if Kwang-hyun is able to successfully treat her precious cat Dolly.

Meanwhile, Jinyung applies as a nurse at the People’s Hospital, but Inju, the head nurse, rejects her.

The royal horse becomes more sick and is brought back to the royal stables. A blame game ensues between the royal veterinarians and the ranch doctors, led by Kibae. Consequently, Myung-hwan threatens them all.

Episode 7


Kwang-hyun puts his life on the line after Kibae is thrown into jail. He guarantees to Myung-hwan that he can treat the sick horse and make it healthy by the time the Qing envoys arrive.

Kwang-hyun uses a dangerous acupuncture technique to treat the horse. But the royal veterinarians sabotage his efforts, and he is thrown into jail.

Meanwhile, after persisting in becoming a nurse
at the People’s Hospital, Jinyung is finally accepted. But Inju assigns her to work in the royal stables.

The Qing envoys arrive at the palace and demand to see the horse.

Episode 8


Kwang-hyun is appointed as an apprentice veterinarian in the royal stables. But the other apprentices resent him because he didn’t go through the entrance exam.

At the stables, Kwang-hyun meets Jinyung; he still thinks that she’s a commoner like him. While he is ecstatic in working with all kinds of animals, Jinyung suffers all kinds of embarrassments. She’s also boisterously teased by the apprentices who don’t know about her noble status. But she proves her worth as a nurse later on.

Princess Sukhwi, who has become infatuated with Kwang-hyun, visits him in the stables on the pretext that her cat is sick again.

Later, all the royal veterinarians and the apprentices are hastily sent to Icheon village to deal with a plague that threatens to kill thousands of cattle.

Note (funny scene): Princess Sukhwi sees Jinyung in the stables, but Jinyung tries to hide.

Episode 9


The plague begins to affect people with smallpox-like symptoms. Doctors and nurses from the People’s Hospital, led by Dr. Ko, are ordered by the King to help stop the plague from spreading. Kibae, Jabong, and other people with skills in dealing with animals are also conscripted to help.

When Sungha, Myung-hwan’s son, finds out that Jinyung is in the plague-stricken village, he rushes there to get Jinyung out.

Kwang-hyun is not convinced about the cause of the disease. With Jinyung’s help, he dissects some of the dead cattle. He thinks that some kind of poison is making the cattle and the people sick. He shares his findings with Dr. Ko who believes him and orders a change in the medication. Dr. Ko also orders everyone to start checking the food and water for the source of the poison.

Kwang-hyun and the soldiers fail to discover the poison’s source. Everyone, except Dr. Ko and Jinyung, starts doubting Kwang-hyun’s theory about poison being the cause of the disease.

As Sungha enters the village, he sees Jinyung as she collapses into Kwang-hyun’s arms. Jinyung herself has become sick.

Episode 10


Myung-hwan arrives at the village and takes over from Dr. Ko. He becomes alarmed when he finds out that Jinyung herself has become sick and that his son Sungha is also in the village.

But Kwang-hyun finally discovers the poison’s source. Jinyung volunteers to test the new medication on herself. Soon after, she gets well.

The crisis is ended, and things settle down. Jinyung recuperates, and Sungha takes the civil service exams. The King asks Dr. Ko to become the new Chief of Physicians.

Princess Sukhwi welcomes Kwang-hyun back to the palace. Later on, she manipulates things so that she can spend time alone with Kwang-hyun in Jinyung’s residence.

Note (funny scenes): Jabong tries to avoid getting sick; Princess Sukhwi rushes to embrace Kwang-hyun as he returns to the palace.

Episode 11


Princess Sukhwi can’t believe that she actually kissed Kwang-hyun. Her attendant asks her to stay away from Kwang-hyun and to forget all about him.

Kwang-hyun and three other apprentice veterinarians are ordered to go to an island to treat some cattle. While on the island, one of the apprentices becomes sick. But the doctor isn’t on the island, and the boat going back to the capital will be available only after two hours. Thinking that the apprentice might die, Kwang-hyun uses acupuncture to treat him. The apprentice starts breathing normally again but doesn’t regain consciousness.

Back in the capital, Kwang-hyun explains to Dr. Ko what he did. Dr. Ko sympathizes with him, but Kwang-hyun gets kicked out of the royal stables. Myung-hwan also finds out about what he did.

Kwang-hyun meets Jinyung at the Seafood Palace where Sungha and his friends are celebrating because he passed the civil service exam. But soldiers arrive to arrest Kwang-hyun.

Episode 12


Myung-hwan orchestrates Kwang-hyun’s arrest and punishment. Despite Jinyung’s attempts to free him, Kwang-hyun is flogged 30 times.

Kwang-hyun survives, and Inju and Jinyung nurse him back to health. Princess Sukhwi also visits him.

With the King’s help, Dr. Ko institutes several reforms including opening the entrance exams for new doctors to anyone, regardless of class. Dr. Ko asks Kwang-hyun to take the exams and lends him the books that he needs to read.

Episode 13


For the next four weeks, Jinyung helps Kwang-hyun to study for the exams. But Kwang-hyun faces all kinds of opposition from Myung-hwan, the other medical officers, and the applicants coming from the noble families. The only friend Kwang-hyun makes is Daebang who’s from a middle-class family.

When the exam questions are revealed, Kwang-hyun stares at them for a long time. He is also one of the last persons to finish the exam.

Note (funny scene): The Queen Mother catches Princess Sukhwi trying to learn how to cook eggs.

Episode 14


Episode 13 recap: Inju overhears from Jinyung’s conversation with Sungha that Jinyung’s childhood friend and the horse doctor have the same name, “Baek Kwang-hyun.”
Jinyung and Inju are amazed with Kwang-hyun’s dexterity with acupuncture; he has never used an acupuncture dummy before and has studied human anatomy for only a month.

Later on, Jinyung teaches Kwang-hyun the grading system for the acupuncture exam — red dots get the highest points.

Meanwhile, Inju takes time off from her duties to confirm if Kwang-hyun is really Kang Dojun’s son whom she has been looking for all these years.

The day before the exam, Princess Sukhwi summons Kwang-hyun to the palace. She wants to give him a special lucky charm that will ensure that he passes the exam.

On his way home from the palace, Kwang-hyun is kidnapped by Myung-hwan’s men. Later on, Kibae finds Kwang-hyun bleeding and lying unconscious on the street. Kibae takes him to a doctor, but the doctor says that with his injury, Kwang-hyun will not be able to take the exam the next day.

Note (funniest scene so far in this drama): Princess Sukhwi gives Kwang-hyun a special lucky charm.

Episode 15


Just as the gong is about to be sounded to signal the end of the exam, Kwang-hyun sticks the last needle into the red spot.

When Dr. Ko and the other doctors find out about Kwang-hyun’s broken and bloody forearm, they rush him to the clinic. Dr. Ko treats Kwang-hyun’s injury, while Jinyung (with Princess Sukhwi’s help) goes to find the right medicinal herbs.

After getting well, Kwang-hyun pays a visit to the cave where his father Seokgu died. He promises to be a good doctor.

Meanwhile, Princess Sukhwi makes up all kinds of excuses so that the Queen Mother and the Queen can’t go through with the marriage that they’re planning for her.

On the first day of Kwang-hyun’s class, his teacher marches him and the other students into the clinic to diagnose patients. The teacher later singles out Kwang-hyun’s diagnostic report.

Sungha is appointed by the King to become the hospital administrator. When Kwang-hyun’s teacher hears about it, he uses Kwang-hyun to carry his gifts for Sungha.

Later on, one of Sungha’s friends, Dusik, asks Kwang-hyun to examine his sister Eun-so in secret. Dusik recoils in disgust when Kwang-hyun tells him that he used to be a horse doctor. Just then, a scream comes from Eun-so’s room.

Note (romantic scene): Kwang-hyun uses a monkey in the royal stables to bring flowers to Jinyung.

Episode 16


Eun-so has attempted to kill herself by asphyxiation. When Dusik threatens to kill him if he doesn’t treat Eun-so, Kwang-hyun asks Dusik to get some medicinal herbs and to inform Jinyung about the situation.

When Dusik comes back, he is shocked by what Kwang-hyun is doing to Eun-so. When Jinyung arrives, she takes over from Kwang-hyun, and they manage to revive Eun-so.

Myung-hwan arranges Sungha and Jinyung’s marriage. Jinyung is shocked when she learns about it because she has never thought of Sungha in romantic terms.

Inju continues to investigate Kwang-hyun’s background, this time by questioning Kibae.

Princess Sukhwi becomes sick, and she goes to see Kwang-hyun at the clinic. But while she’s there, Eun-so arrives, looking for Kwang-hyun.

Kwang-hyun fails to diagnose a patient correctly, and Yuntae (the class topnotcher) rushes the man to the clinic for treatment. The doctor on duty agrees with Yuntae that the man is suffering from brain hemorrhage. Later on, the doctor pronounces that the man is dead, and the body is brought to the morgue.

Kwang-hyun becomes discouraged when Yuntae tells him that he is incompetent, but Jinyung encourages him to simply study harder.

While studying for the herbal medicine exam the next day, Kwang-hyun is tricked by two of his classmates who lock him inside the morgue. While trying to get out of the morgue, Kwang-hyun chances upon the body of the man whom he failed to diagnose properly.

Episode 17


Episode 16 recap: Kwang-hyun finds out that the man in the morgue is still alive. Unable to get out of the morgue to call a doctor to help, he decides to acupuncture the man based on what he remembers from what Yuntae said.

When Jinyung finds out that Kwang-hyun missed the exam, she starts looking for him with Daebang. They find Kwang-hyun inside the morgue, slumped near the body of a man lying on a table. They’re shocked to find out the man is still alive.
The news spreads like wildfire that Kwang-hyun has raised someone from the dead. Even the King hears about it. Kwang-hyun is allowed to take the exam that he missed.

Jinyung visits Eun-so and tells her what Kwang-hyun found out when he saved her the first time around. Relieved that her secret is now out, Eun-so goes to thank Kwang-hyun.

Meanwhile, Kibae tells Kwang-hyun that his beloved horse from the ranch has been brought to the royal stables.

Sungha reminds Kwang-hyun that he is a commoner and that Jinyung is a noble. He tells Kwang-hyun not to meet Jinyung outside of the clinic.

For the next practical exam, the students will pass the exam if their diagnosis matches the official diagnosis previously done by the royal doctors. Kwang-hyun is paired with Yuntae, and they go to meet their patient.

Episode 18


Episode 17 recap: Kwang-hyun and Taeju discover that their patient is the King himself. They take turns in diagnosing the King; they are also allowed to observe the King’s daily activities.
Kwang-hyun’s teacher offers to Myung-hwan a plan that will make Kwang-hyun fail the exam. Myung-hwan also continues to plot against Dr. Ko.

Later on, Taeju’s diagnosis matches exactly that of the official diagnosis. On the other hand, Kwang-hyun is accused of cheating by stealing a copy of the official diagnosis.

Note (funny scene): To her dismay, Princess Sukhwi gets assigned to Daebang and the bully who locked Kwang-hyun inside the morgue. She takes revenge against the bully.

Episode 19


Episode 18 recap: Kwang-hyun’s teacher tries to frame him by planting a copy of the official diagnosis among his things.

Myung-whan accuses Kwang-hyun of stealing the official diagnosis and demands to see Kwang-hyun’s report. But the report turns out to be completely blank. Kwang-hyun shocks everyone by saying that the King is suffering from gallstones, a sickness that he has seen before in cows and pigs.
The medical council wants Kwang-hyun to be kicked out. The hospital is thrown into chaos, with the students refusing to attend their classes and the doctors walking out of their duties. Dr. Ko and the loyal nurses are overwhelmed by the number of patients whom they have to attend to. But Dr. Ko remains steadfast in defending Kwang-hyun.

Feeling guilty about the whole mess, Kwang-hyun tells Myung-hwan that he will resign from the medical school.

As the ministers are demanding that the King dismiss Dr. Ko from his position, the King collapses. Dr. Ko realizes that Kwang-hyun’s diagnosis is correct and asks him all about gallstones. Together, they make the medication for the King, despite Myung-hwan’s objections.

When the King doesn’t get well, the Queen Mother orders that Dr. Ko be forcibly removed and that Myung-hwan should take over in treating the King.

Episode 20


Episode 19 recap: Kwang-hyun notices that the King’s stool has turned in color from gray to green, indicating that the King is getting well. The Queen Mother becomes confused with the contradictory views of Dr. Ko and Kwang-hyun, on one side, and Myung-hwan and the ministers, on the other side.
The Queen Mother decides to let Myung-hwan take over the King’s treatment, despite Princess Sukhwi and Jinyung’s pleas. Just then, they get the news that the King’s condition has started to improve.

Kwang-hyun is reinstated as a student, and Dr. Ko continues to treat the King.

Myung-hwan hatches another devious plan to bring about Dr. Ko’s downfall.

Note (cute scene): As the King is being examined in the presence of the Queen Mother and the Queen, Princess Sukhwi slides up close to Kwang-hyun.

Episode 21


Episode 20 recap: Myung-hwan plots to poison Dr. Ko so that he will miss the appointed time for the King’s acupuncture treatment. But Kwang-hyun finds Dr. Ko and uses acupuncture to stop the poison from spreading. Dr. Ko is able to get to the palace just in time.

Myung-hwan resigns from his position.
Dr. Ko recovers from the poisoning incident and then continues to implement his reforms. He tells the student doctors about using acupuncture to treat boils, a common problem among Joseon’s population. Jinyung receives permission to study alongside Kwang-hyun and the other students.

Princess Sukhwi uses the lantern festival as an excuse to leave the palace. She wants to finally tell Kwang-hyun that she loves him. She asks Jinyung to help her carry out her plan. But her plans are derailed, and she has to rush back to the palace.

Kwang-hyun and Jinyung spend time together. Walking along the street after the rain has stopped, Kwang-hyun does something that reminds Jinyung of a similar thing that happened eight years ago.

Finding out that Jinyung has been with Kwang-hyun, Myung-hwan scolds her and says that she has to marry Sungha immediately. Later on, Myung-hwan tells the King about Jinyung and Sungha’s upcoming marriage.

Inju tells Kwang-hyun that she has an important thing to tell him.

Episode 22


Episode 21 recap: Inju finally confirms that Kwang-hyun is Kang Dojun’s child and heir.
Inju hesitates in telling Kwang-hyun about his real identity because she fears the consequences for Jinyung.

Myung-hwan’s plan for Jinyung and Sungha’s marriage seems to be going well with gifts coming from everyone, including Lord Jung. But Sungha doesn’t want to force Jinyung into marrying him.

The student doctors and the nurses begin practicing making surgical incisions by using tofu placed on top of a pig’s bladder.

Dr. Ko begins feeling sick again, but he still asks Kwang-hyun to teach him about treating boils in animals.

Jinyung tells Myung-hwan that she isn’t ready to get married yet. When Myung-hwan asks her if she is in love with Kwang-hyun, she doesn’t answer. Fearing that his plan for taking full control of Jinyung’s inheritance is in peril, Myung-hwan decides to get rid of Kwang-hyun once and for all.

Episode 23


Episode 22 recap: Inju reveals to Dr. Ko that Kwang-hyun is Kang Dojun’s son and heir.

Myung-hwan entraps Kwang-hyun and Eun-so by using forged letters and makes it appear that they are involved in an immoral act. Kwang-hyun and Eun-so are arrested and put into jail. Myung-hwan, later on, arranges to have Eun-so set free but demands that Kwang-hyun be given the death penalty.
Eun-so is forced by her father-in-law, Lord Jung, to deny any involvement with Kwang-hyun. Dusik also pleads with Kwang-hyun to protect Eun-so’s reputation.

Despite being tortured, Kwang-hyun denies any wrongdoing.

As Jinyung tries to plead with Dusik to ask Eun-so to help, Eun-so collapses in pain. Out of guilt, Eun-so’s slave finally reveals the truth. Dusik races to the tribunal to stop the interrogation, and Kwang-hyun is released temporarily.

Jinyung tells Dr. Ko about Eun-so’s sickness that Kwanghyun found out about when he first saved her life. Dr. Ko decides that Eun-so needs surgery, but this causes an uproar among the Confucian scholars. The scholars petition the King to stop Dr. Ko, but the King decides to allow the operation.

Episode 24


Episode 23 recap: Dr. Ko asks Kwang-hyun to perform the operation on Eun-so because he has the most experience in surgery. The operation is a success.

Inju gives Kwang-hyun the acupuncture set that belonged to Kang Dojun and asks him what Jinyung means to him.
Inju finally reveals to Kwang-hyun that he is Kang Dojun’s son and heir. But Kwang-hyun refuses to believe her.

Meanwhile, Eun-so tells Jinyung that, someday, she will have to choose between Kwang-hyun and Myung-hwan.

Kwang-hyung decides to investigate what Inju told him. He asks Dusik for help in looking for some official documents.

Dr. Ko decides to take some time off from his duties because of his severe headaches.

Meanwhile, Myung-hwan is reinstated through the Queen Mother’s help. Together with Lord Jung, he begins planning again Dr. Ko’s downfall.

Note (cute scene): Princess Sukhwi tries to find out how Eun-so really feels towards Kwang-hyun.

Episode 25


Episode 24 recap: Kwang-hyun confirms that he is indeed Kang Dojun’s son and heir. He also learns from Inju how Myung-hwan framed Kang Dojun and Seokgu. But he doesn’t want to destroy Jinyung’s life.

Dr. Ko collapses and is in a critical condition.
Kwang-hyun rushes Dr. Ko to the hospital. Dr. Ko is suffering from an abscess in his skull that’s affecting his bone marrow. Both Inju and Jinyung tell Kwang-hyun that Dr. Ko might not survive because the poison has worsened his condition.

But Kwang-hyun refuses to give up; he finds Dr. Ko’s notes and thinks that they hold the answer. Just then, he learns that Myung-hwan has been appointed to treat Dr. Ko. He confronts Myung-hwan and warns him not to do anything that will harm Dr. Ko.

Kwang-hyun, later on, suggests to the medical council that Dr. Ko must be operated on. But the doctors are outraged by his plan to cut open Dr. Ko’s head.

When Myung-hwan finally admits that he can’t do anything for Dr. Ko, the King allows Kwang-hyun to perform the dangerous operation. But the King imposes the condition that if Dr. Ko dies, Kwang-hyun must pay with his life.

As the operation begins, Kwang-hyun realizes that Dr. Ko’s condition has become much worse.

Note (cute scene): Princess Sukhwi begins to think that Kwang-hyun might be in love with Jinyung.

Episode 26


Episode 25 recap: Eun-so tells Jinyung that Myung-hwan poisoned Dr. Ko and also framed her and Kwang-hyun.
Kwang-hyun decides to drill into Dr. Ko’s head, as suggested by Jinyung. The operation is successful, but Lord Jung tells Myung-hwan that Dr. Ko could still die …

When Myung-hwan visits him, Dr. Ko reminds him of his early days with Kang Dojun as medical students..

Inju gives Kwang-hyun the box of documents and seals that Kang Dojun entrusted to her 20 years ago. These things will prove that Kwang-hyun is Kang Dojun’s heir. Meeting Jinyung afterwards, Kwang-hyun decides not to tell her the truth but, instead, asks her if she’s willing to run away with him.

Later on, Jinyung goes back to the royal stables to return the drill used in Dr. Ko’s operation. While there, she learns the name of Kwang-hyun’s favorite horse.

Kwang-hyun is kidnapped by Myung-hwan’s men.

Episode 27


Episode 26 recap: Myung-hwan finds out that Kang Dojun’s real heir is Kwang-hyun, not Jinyung.

Jinyung learns that Kwang-hyun’s favorite horse is named “Yongdal,” the name that she used eight years ago when she was living on the streets. She begins thinking that her childhood friend and the apprentice doctor are one and the same person.
Despite being slashed in the arm by a sword, Kwang-hyun escapes from Myung-hwan’s men into the mountain. Later on, Jinyung finds him unconscious and takes him to the hospital.

Meanwhile, Myung-hwan reveals to Sungha that Kwang-hyun is Kang Dojun’s real heir, not Jinyung. Despite Sungha’s pleas, Jinyung packs up and leaves the house. She goes to the bridge where she and Kwang-hyun first met eight years ago.

Dr. Ko goes to the palace to meet the king, but while there, he collapses and has to be rushed back to the hospital.

Note (heartbreaking scene): Princess Sukhwi finds out that Kwang-hyun and Jinyung are in love with each other.

Episode 28


Episode 27 recap: Jinyung confirms that Kwang-hyun is actually her childhood friend. Kwang-hyun also finds out that Jinyung is actually Yongdal whom he met years ago. They have a tearful reunion at the bridge.

Princess Sukhwi finds out that Kwang-hyun and Jinyung are in love with each other.
Kwang-hyun blames himself for Dr. Ko’s death, even as Inju tries to comfort him with Dr. Ko’s last words for him. Later on, they are both arrested for Dr. Ko’s death.

Myung-hwan promises Jinyung that he will save Kwang-hyun. Jinyung is assured by Sungha that he’ll see to it that Myung-hwan keeps his promise.

In order to save Kwang-hyun, Inju gives in to Myung-hwan’s demands. Myung-hwan then tells the King that Kwang-hyun is not responsible for Dr. Ko’s death. But the King still banishes Kwang-hyun.

Jinyung, Kibae, Jabong, and Princess Sukhwi join in a plan to rescue Kwang-hyun. Later, Kwang-hyun finds himself on the river with just a guard and the boatman.

Note (heartbreaking scene): Princess Sukhwi says goodbye to Kwang-hyun.

Episode 29


Episode 28 recap: The plan to save Kwang-hyun goes all wrong because Myung-hwan never really intended to save him.
Everyone begins thinking that Kwang-hyun drowned in the river during the thunderstorm.

Four months later …

Myung-hwan has taken over at the hospital and begins to overturn Dr. Ko’s reforms. He focuses on making money instead of serving people. After the new hospital building is finished, Jinyung and Inju decide to continue Dr. Ko’s vision. Jinyung decides to go to Qing to contact suppliers of medicinal herbs.

Unknown to all, Kwang-hyun survived the thunderstorm and the boatman’s attempt on his life. Based on Dr. Ko’s letter, he begins searching for a famous doctor. Kwang-hyun finds the doctor (and his apprentice Kayong), but the doctor refuses to take him in as a student.

Later, Kwang-hyun and Jinyung are on the same dock, with Kwang-hyun still pleading for the doctor (who’s leaving for Qing) to be his mentor.

Episode 30


Episode 29 recap: Kwang-hyun finds out that the famous doctor Dr. Ko wanted him to find is the same doctor who treated him and his horse Yongdal years ago.
Three years later, under Dr. Saam’s training, Kwang-hyun has become a highly-skilled surgeon.

Meanwhile, back in Joseon, Myung-hwan further gains the royal family’s favor. Jinyung, on the other hand, has set up a secret pharmacy that works against Myung-hwan’s hospital by providing low-priced medicinal herbs to Joseon’s commoners.

After an incident in Kayong’s favorite dumpling place, Dr. Saam is requested by the Deputy Governor General to treat his daughter who’s suffering from a mysterious illness. His daughter’s husband has refused to let her be seen by anyone after several doctors failed to diagnose and treat her.

Kwang-hyun, Dr. Saam, and Kayong sneak into the house to look at the woman’s condition. They are shocked to see a massive lump growing on her body’s left side.

Episode 31


Episode 30 recap: The massive lump in the body of the governor’s daughter turns out to be an abnormal pregnancy. Kwang-hyun cuts her open to safely deliver the baby.

Kwang-hyun finds out that Myung-hwan and a medical entourage from Joseon will be arriving in the Qing capital.
The Qing royal court posts announcements across the capital for all doctors who can find the cure for the Empress to come forward. Dr. Saam encourages Kwang-hyun that if he successfully treats the Empress, it could be his way of returning to Joseon.

Myung-hwan and the Joseon medical entourage arrive at the capital. Part of the entourage are Jinyung, Sungha, and Dusik. Because of his stature, Myung-hwan is immediately allowed to examine the Empress. He finds out that the Empress has a gross sore on her back and is suffering from the same bone marrow disease that led to Dr. Ko’s death.

All the doctors who responded to the call, including Kwang-hyun, are assigned patients who are suffering from the same symptoms as the Empress. Kwang-hyun hesitates when he finds out that he’s dealing with the same disease as that of Dr. Ko, but Dr. Saam tells him to confront his fears. Reassured, Kwang-hyun convinces his patient to undergo surgery, telling him that tetanus can be avoided.

Myung-hwan is unsure of how to treat the Empress, and so he tries various treatments first on another patient. Meanwhile, Jinyung goes to the capital’s marketplace to look for medical books that might contain the information for treating the Empress. At that same time, Kwang-hyun is also at the marketplace.

Meanwhile, in Joseon, Princess Sukhwi happens to read Dusik’s letter to Eun-so. She hastily confronts Eun-soo.

Worrying that other doctors might find a cure before he does, Myung-hwan orders his bodyguard Officer Kang to see what the other doctors are working on. Kang hears about a “Joseon doctor,” and he goes to the clinic where Kwang-hyun is treating his patient.

Notes:

1. Funny scene: Princess Sukhwi has been enjoying her freedom in living outside the palace. But then the King orders her to return to the palace. She says, “I’m going back to prison.”

2. Cute scene: Kayong meets Sungha in a bookshop and swoons over this “Joseon hottie.”

Episode 32


Episode 31 recap: Princess Sukhwi finds out that Eun-soo thinks that Kwang-hyun is alive and that Dusik is searching for him in Qing.
Kwang-hyun’s patient begins to suffer from tetanus, and he decides to operate on the patient again.

Based on Jinyung’s suggestion, Myung-hwan tries a different way of treating his patient.

Kwang-hyun’s patient shows greater progress than Myung-hwan’s patient. But Qing’s Head of Medicine thinks that surgery might be too radical for the Empress and that tetanus could be a problem. He decides to allow Myung-hwan to treat the Empress, to the delight of the whole Joseon entourage.

Despite not having been chosen, Kwang-hyun continues to treat his patient. From Kayong, he learns that Jinyung is part of the Joseon entourage, and he rushes to the port to see Jinyung.

Note (funny scenes): The King goes incognito in the Joseon capital to find out about his people’s lives. He meets and eats with Jabong in the Seafood Palace.

Kayong meets Daebang, Taeju, and instructor Dr. Kwon. She horrifies them with the way she casually talks to them; she calls them the “three dorks.” But her speech and mannerism change when she meets Sungha again.

Episode 33


Episode 32 recap: Kwang-hyun fails to see Jinyung at the port. Going back to the clinic, he is taken away by the palace guards.
Myung-hwan apparently failed to cure the Empress, and the Emperor allows Kwang-hyun to treat her.

But the Empress rejects Kwang-hyun’s preparatory medication and acupuncture; she also refuses to undergo surgery because of the scars that will be left on her body. She only relents when she finds out that Kwang-hyun has not told anyone about the intimate reason that led to her sickness.

Meanwhile in Joseon …

Myung-hwan and the medical entourage arrive triumphantly, not knowing that the Empress had not been cured by Myung-hwan.

Dusik informs Eun-soo that he couldn’t find Kwang-hyun in Qing.

Jinyung, with Kibae and Jabong, continues her secret trade in medicinal herbs. She also sets up her own private clinic to treat patients rejected by the People’s Hospital. Joining her are Inju and Dr. Shin who have resigned from their posts.

Episode 34


Episode 33 recap: Kwang-hyun successfully operates on the Empress. With her help, he returns to Joseon.
Dr. Saam and Kayong arrive in Joseon, looking for Kwang-yun and expecting him to be now wealthy and restored by the King. But Kwang-hyun hasn’t revealed himself to Jinyung or to anyone else. He secretly treats patients who are turned away from the People’s Hospital.

Meanwhile, Jinyung and Inju are overwhelmed by the big number of patients who come to her private clinic.

On Myung-hwan’s prodding, the King orders Dusik to stop the illegal trade in medicinal herbs. When Sungha finds out about it, he goes to warn Jinyung, but he gets wounded in the ensuing fight with Dusik’s men.

Later, Kwang-hyun gives a grim prognosis to a high government official.

Note (touching scenes:) Kwang-hyun goes to his former home and blows out the candle in the lantern that Kibae has been keeping lit since he disappeared three years ago.

Kwang-hyun goes to Jinyung’s private clinic and gazes longingly at her shadow on the wall.

Episode 35


Episode 34 recap: Kwang-hyun rescues a wounded and unconscious Sungha. He takes Sungha to a cave, treats him with whatever medicinal herbs he could find, and uses a strand of Sungha’s hair to close up his wound.
Kwang-hyun warns Minister Oh Kyu-tae that his condition will rapidly deteriorate and that he will die in a matter of days. But Minister Oh and his son are outraged when Kwanghyun says that amputation is the only solution.

Myung-hwan orders his staff to find out more about the mysterious doctor. Later, he tells the King and the Queen Mother that Minister Oh’s condition is hopeless; he also submits a petition saying that the mysterious doctor has been swindling people in the capital.

As Princess Sukhwi visits Sungha and Jinyung in the People’s Hospital, Kayong arrives and immediately gets into a misunderstanding with her attendant Lady Kwak.

Dusik finds out that Sungha was the one who interfered in the raid against the smugglers of medicinal herbs. Later, as he speaks with Eunso, they receive their long-awaited letter from Qing.

On Myung-hwan’s order, soldiers arrest Dr. Saam and bring him to the People’s Hospital. Finding out about it, Inju rushes to see Dr. Saam.

Episode 36


Episode 35 recap: Kwanghyun successfully operates on Minister Oh.

After he meets Minister Oh, the King orders the Inspector General to investigate Myunghwan and to seize all the records from the People’s Hospital.

At the People’s Hospital, patients angrily demand for their money and begin boycotting the hospital.
The King convenes the Medical Council, but the council members can’t explain how Minister Oh survived his dire condition. As the King demands an answer, Jinyung barges into the meeting.

Kayong meets Dr. Saam after he’s released from prison. Later, while Inju presses Dr. Saam to reveal who the mysterious doctor is, Kayong can’t stop talking to Jinyung.

Princess Sukhwi learns from Eun-so that Kwang-hyun is alive and has been in Joseon for some time. Meanwhile, Sungha learns from Dusik that he’s now a wanted man.

Intrigued by what Kayong said, Jinyung asks Taeju to get all the medical records that the mysterious doctor submitted.

While the Queen Mother pleads with the King on Myung-hwan’s behalf, Myung-hwan asks his subordinate to take all the blame for him. He says that everything will be better once the Qing envoys arrive and honor him for curing the Empress.

Kwang-hyun leaves the Qing compound late at night, but as he’s walking along on a deserted street, Officer Kang and his men suddenly attack him.

Note (touching scenes): Kwang-hyun reunites with Kibae and Jabong.

Princess Sukhwi recites a poem after realizing that Kwang-hyun has come back to Joseon, not for her, but for Jinyung.

Episode 37


Episode 36 recap: The King, the ministers, Myung-hwan, the medical staff, Inju, and Jinyung are shocked when Kwang-hyun appears during the feast for the Qing entourage.
The Qing envoy shocks the King and everyone else by presenting Kwang-hyun at the feast and by saying that Kwang-hyun cured the Qing Empress through surgery. Later, the envoy presents to the King a letter from the Emperor, asking him to pardon Kwang-hyun.

At the palace, as the King speaks with Kwang-hyun and as Jinyung waits outside, Princess Sukhwi arrives.

Despite the Qing Emperor’s letter, the King tells Kwang-hyun that he alone will decide whether to pardon him.

Sungha goes to the palace and confesses to the King that he’s the one who helped the smugglers of medicinal herbs.

Later, as the doctors in the People’s Hospital can’t deal with some serious cases, Dr. Saam says that the cures can all be found in the book “Guide to Sores” written during King Myeongjeong’s reign. But all known copies of the book were destroyed during the Imjin War.

At the People’s Hospital, Jinyung bumps into a mysterious man who’s loitering near the entrance. The man drops his things, and Jinyung sees that he has surgical tools. The man leaves in a hurry, without saying a word, and goes to a place where a corpse awaits him.

Episode 38


Episode 37 recap: The King pardons Kwang-hyun and assigns him to the People’s Hospital as a seventh-grade official.

Kwang-hyun and Jinyung reunite at the bridge.

The mysterious man dissects the corpse; he also has a copy of the “Guide to Sores.”
Children playing near a river bank find a corpse that’s hidden under the snow, and Dusik goes there to investigate. As he inspects the body, Dr. Saam arrives.

When the patient with the toxic abscess dies, fear spreads among the patients in the People’s Hospital and in Jinyung’s clinic.

During the staff meeting at the People’s Hospital, Myung-hwan’s minions pin all the blame on Kwang-hyun for the patients who have either died or left in panic.

Princess Sukhwi meets Eun-so to prepare for a wedding. Meanwhile, Kwang-hyun takes a leave of absence from the hospital and visits the Seafood Palace. Later, Jinyung goes to an isolated hut in the woods and finds Kwang-hyun in pain and with boils all over his arm.

Dusik and Sungha discover that the corpse that was found at the river bank has been systematically dissected. Meanwhile, the mysterious man has presented himself as a monk and now works at a morgue near Kwang-hyun’s Surgical College.

When the Crown Prince’s condition becomes worse, the King dismisses Myung-hwan as the attending physician.

Myung-hwan protests the King’s order for Kwang-hyun to operate on the Crown Prince. As he leaves the hospital, the mysterious man confronts him and says that Kwang-hyun will fail and that the Crown Prince will die.

Episode 39


Episode 38 recap: Dr. Saam tells Kayong that the mysterious man could be his former student.

Princess Sukhwi and Eun-so prepare for Jinyung and Kwang-hyun’s wedding.

Kwang-hyun successfully operates on the Crown Prince, but if he can’t stop the bleeding, the Crown Prince will die.
The mysterious man tells Myung-hwan that Kwang-hyun doesn’t know how to stop the bleeding. True enough, no matter what kind of blood coagulants that Kwang-hyun uses, the Crown Prince continues to bleed. Within 15 minutes, he will die if Kwang-hyun can’t find the answer.

When Kwang-hyun collapses, Daebang carries him out of the operating room, and Taeju prepares to operate. But he hesitates after seeing that Kwang-hyun’s condition has worsened.

Dr. Saam confirms that it’s his former student, Choi Hyong Kwi, who dissected the corpse that was found at the river bank.

When the Crown Prince begins suffering from toxemia, Myung-hwan appeals to the Queen Mother to dismiss Kwang-hyun and to allow Choi Hyong Kwi to treat the Crown Prince.

Episode 40


Episode 39 recap: Kwang-hyun successfully stops the bleeding by using Dr. Saam’s secret acupuncture technique.

Later, as the Crown Prince develops toxemia, Kwang-hyun realizes that he can’t use toad venom as part of his thistle tonic.

On the Queen Mother’s order, Myung-hwan and Choi Hyong Kwi take over in treating the Crown Prince.
Myung-hwan invokes the authority of the Queen Mother against the staff of the People’s Hospital and allows Choi Hyong Kwi to treat the Crown Prince. But Kwang-hyun arrives and confronts Myung-hwan and Choi Hyong Kwi.

On Myung-hwan’s recommendation, Choi Hyong Kwi becomes a doctor in the People’s Hospital. Finding out about it, Dr. Samm warns Kwang-hyun that Choi Hyong Kwi is targeting him.

Princess Sukhwi and Eun-so take Jinyung to the market to look for ornaments for her wedding. Later, that night, Sungha tells Dusik that Kwang-hyun and Jinyung can never get married. Meanwhile, as Princess Sukhwi continues looking for ornaments in the market, she’s accosted by a sick beggar.

At the Seafood Palace, one of the servers collapses; panic then spreads among the customers when they find out that the server is infected with smallpox.



Episode 41


Episode 40 recap: Kwang-hyun saves the Crown Prince from toxemia by using his thistle tonic, with the toad venom having been turned into ashes.

As the King orders the entire capital to be quarantined, Princess Sukhwi herself becomes sick with smallpox.
With Myung-hwan confirming that Princess Sukhwi is sick with smallpox, the Queen Mother blames Kwang-hyun.

As more people become sick with smallpox, Choi Hyong Kwi orders the nurses to throw out the dying patients. He also mocks Kwang-hyun to try and save Princess Sukhwi.

Dr. Saam notices the recovery of the very first patient, the beggar who infected Princess Sukhwi. Kwang-hyun studies the patient’s records and immediately proposes to the medical staff a way of fighting smallpox. But Taeju says that they have almost run out of medicinal herbs.

Choi Hyong Kwi suggests a way for Myung-hwan to regain the King’s trust. But Myung-hwan hesitates when Choi Hyong Kwi says that their first step is to worsen Princess Sukhwi’s condition.

Episode 42


Episode 41 recap: Using musk, Choi Hyong Kwi causes Princess Sukhwi’s uvula to swell; this makes it difficult for her to breath and can lead to her death. Myung-hwan then appeals to the Queen Mother and the King to allow Choi Hyong Kwi to immediately operate on Princess Sukhwi.

Dusik and Sungha realize that Choi Hyong Kwi dissected the corpse that was found near the river bank.

Kwang-hyun rushes to the Palace and stops Choi Hyong Kwi from operating on Princess Sukhwi.
The staff at the People’s Hospital find out how Choi Hyong Kwi deliberately worsened Princess Sukhwi’s condition. Kwang-hyun also reports everything to the King, but the remedy that he proposes shocks Minister Oh and outrages the King. When the Queen Mother finds out about it, she orders that Kwang-hyun be arrested and charged with high treason.

Kwang-hyun confronts Myung-hwan and accuses him of conspiring with Choi Hyong Kwi to worsen Princess Sukhwi’s condition. He vows to ruin Myung-hwan, once and for all.

But Myung-hwan fights back by getting the ministers and the Queen Mother to condemn Kwang-hyun and to pressure the King. Later, the Confucian scholars demand that Kwang-hyun be dismissed.

Kwang-hyun disappears from the People’s Hospital.

Episode 43


Episode 42 recap: Kwang-hyun asks the King to dismiss him from the People’s Hospital.

Myung-hwan’s minion confesses to Minister Jung that Myung-hwan ordered him to provide the musk that was used against Princess Sukhwi.

Kwang-hyun tells Sungha that Myung-hwan is responsible for killing Kang Dojun, Seokgu, and Dr. Ko.
Kwang-hyun urges Sungha to help him bring down Myung-hwan.

Princess Sukhwi pleads with the Queen Mother on Kwang-hyun’s behalf, but Myung-hwan continues to slander Kwang-hyun.

Kwang-hyun visits Jinyung at her clinic and, later, asks her to run away with him.

Based on an anonymous letter, Sungha, as the Inspector General, orders the questioning of his father Myung-hwan and of Lord Jung.

Feeling the pressure, Myung-hwan works to get Officer Kang released. Meanwhile, Lord Jung plans to save himself by betraying Myung-hwan; he orders Dr. Jo to bring Choi Hyong Kwi to him. But fire engulfs the hut where Choi Hyong Kwi is staying.

Jinyung accompanies Princess Sukhwi on her vacation to recuperate in Jangyu and its hot springs. She takes some time off and visits the government office where she spent her days as a slave. But to her shock, she sees Officer Kang also going into the office.



Episode 44


Episode 43 recap: Dr. Saam rescues Choi Hyong Kwi from the fire.

Kwang-hyun appears as a witness against Myung-hwan and Lord Jung during their investigation by the Office of the Inspector General.
Sungha rushes to Jangyu (where Princess Sukhwi and her entourage are staying); on Kwang-hyun’s instructions, he asks Jinyung to leave immediately. But Jinyung hesitates when she remembers what she overheard from Officer Kang about her becoming a slave again.

Sungha appeals to his father to confess everything to the King; on the other hand, the Queen Mother urges the King to stop Kwang-hyun from slandering Myung-hwan and Lord Jung.

Lord Jung visits Kwang-hyun, but Myung-hwan finds out about it.

Dusik orders his men to bring Myung-hwan and Lord Jung to the Tribunal for their investigation. But the investigation is stopped when Myung-hwan is urgently called to the palace — the Queen Mother has collapsed and is critically sick with lesions on her neck.

Dusik goes to Eun-so’s home, and there, he finds Jinyung waiting for him.

Episode 45


Episode 44 recap: Inju finally reveals to Jinyung the truth — her real father is the slave Seokgu, while Kwang-hyun is the real heir of Kang Dojun.
Jinyung confirms with Kwang-hyun the truth about their identities. At the Seafood Palace later on, Sungha tries to explain everything to Jinyung.

When the Queen Mother becomes more sick, Myung-hwan orders his nurse to prepare some opium. Later, he assures the King that the Queen Mother is getting well.

As Jinyung visits Kibae, Myung-hwan orders Officer Kang to continue searching for her, to silence Kwang-hyun, and to find Kwang-hyun’s evidence against him.

Not knowing what’s really happening to the Queen Mother, Princess Sukhwi orders her bodyguard to fetch Kwang-hyun.

On the King’s order, Dr. Shin and Inju examine the Queen Mother. But despite the King’s desperate appeal, the Queen Mother still wants Myung-hwan to treat her.

Jinyung sends a letter to Dusik, and with Princess Sukhwi’s help, she speaks with the Queen Mother. After Dusik shows him the letter, Sungha warns Kwang-hyun.

Kwang-hyun rushes to the palace, but he’s too late.



Episode 46


Episode 45 recap: Jinyung reveals to the Queen Mother that Kwang-hyun is the real heir of Kang Dojun.
The news that Kwang-hyun and Jinyung were switched at birth spreads like wildfire; later, the Queen Mother confronts Myung-hwan.

Kwang-hyun and the medical staff prepare for the Queen Mother’s surgery. But her condition has worsened because of the opium used by Myung-hwan, and her lesion has grown deeper. Kwang-hyun warns the King that the Queen Mother might die during the surgery.

Myung-hwan and Officer Kang run to escape from the capital through a ferry provided by an unexpected source. But the assassins sent by Lord Jung catch up with them.



Episode 47


Episode 46 recap: Kwang-hyun revives the Queen Mother, and the operation is successful.

Officer Kang gets killed, and Myung-hwan returns to the palace.
Haunted by visions of Dr. Ko and his father, Myung-hwan returns to the palace. Later, Dusik’s men arrest Myung-hwan, Lord Jung, and Choi Hyong Kwi.

In prison, Myung-hwan refuses Jinyung’s request to visit him. But Inju manages to see Myung-hwan and gives him a present from Kwang-hyun.

The King orders the exile of Lord Jung and the execution of Myung-hwan. But along the way, Myung-hwan escapes from his escorts.

The ministers petition the King to punish Jinyung for posing as a noble.



Episode 48


Episode 47 recap: Using the acupuncture needles that Kwang-hyun gave him, Myung-hwan takes his own life near Kang Dojun’s grave.

The King reverts Jinyung to her slave status.
Kwang-hyun comes up with a compelling reason for the King to raise Jinyung’s status from slave to commoner. But the King fears the consequences, if ever the reason is revealed.

Kwang-hyun moves the grave of Kang Dojun to another location, while Sungha decides to leave Joseon. Later, after visiting his father Kang Dojun’s large house, Kwang-hyun decides to remodel it.

The King appoints Lord Hong Yunsik as the new Viceroy. After talking with Minister Oh, Lord Hong visits Kwang-hyun at the People’s Hospital and pressures him to marry his daughter.

After overhearing the nurses talk about the numerous problems that will come up if she marries Kwang-hyun, Jinyung goes to see Inok (Daebang’s mother) at the Seafood Palace. Later, the Queen Mother calls Jinyung and tells her to cancel her marriage to Kwang-hyun.

Lord Hong and his allies among the ministers petition the King to promote Kwang-hyun as a third-rank government minister.



Episode 49


Episode 48 recap: The King orders Jinyung to be promoted from slave to commoner.

Kang Dojun’s grave is relocated beside the grave of Seokgu.
The King collapses because of ulcers in his intestines. As Kwang-hyun begins the acupuncture treatment, he notices bloody pus coming out of the King’s navel.

As the King hovers near death, Viceroy Hong orders the palace guards and the military to be placed under full alert.

Kwang-hyun refuses to give up and tells Chief Physician Dr. Shin that he can cut up the King’s stomach and drain the pus from the intestines.

Despite being warned by Taeju and Daebang, Kwang-hyun persists in his plan. Viceroy Hong then threatens to charge Kwang-hyun with high treason.

The Queen Mother gives permission for the surgery on the King. But while the operation is going on, Viceroy Hong and his soldiers barge into the room and arrest Kwang-hyun.



Episode 50: Finale


Episode 49 recap: Because of Daebang’s insight, Kwang-hyun successfully operates on the King. Later, everyone who participated in the operation is promoted by the King.




Princess Sukhwi will steal your heart: her funniest, cutest, and heartbreaking scenes

Be careful watching this drama because Princess Sukhwi will steal your heart!

Princess Sukhwi, played by Kim So-eun, steals this drama from all other characters. (You might remember Kim So-eun from the hit drama “Boys Over Flowers.”) I found myself waiting for Princess Sukhwi’s scenes in each episode and cheering for her to end up romantically with Kwang-hyun.

Episode 8: Princess Sukhwi, who has become infatuated with Kwang-hyun, storms to the Royal Treasury because she’s dissatisfied with the rolls of silk to be given to Kwang-hyun. She points out to the rolls of silk and says, “I want this, this, this ....“ She also visits him in the stables on the pretext that her cat is sick again.

Episode 10: Princess Sukhwi rushes to embrace Kwang-hyun as he returns to the palace.

Episode 10 (end) and Episode 11 (start): Princess Sukhwi kisses Kwang-hyun.

Episode 13: Princess Sukhwi tries to learn how to cook eggs.

Episode 14: Princess Sukhwi gives Kwang-hyun a special lucky charm to ensure that he passes the exam. (This is perhaps her funniest scene.)

Episode 16: Princess Sukhwi tries to get sick so that she can have an excuse to see Kwang-hyun.

Episode 18: Princess Sukhwi, to her dismay, gets assigned for diagnosis to Daebang and the bully who locked Kwang-hyun inside the morgue. She takes revenge against the bully.

Episode 20: As the King is being examined in the presence of the Queen Mother and the Queen, Princess Sukhwi slides up close to Kwang-hyun.

Episode 21: Princess Sukhwi uses the lantern festival as an excuse to leave the palace. She wants to tell Kwang-hyun that she loves him.

Episode 24: Princess Sukhwi dreams about Kwang-yun being a noble and riding away from her. Her royal guard says that the lady with Kwang-hyun is probably Eun-so. She goes immediately to confront Eun-so.

Episode 27 heartbreaking scene: Princess Sukhwi finds out that Kwang-hyun and Jinyung are in love with each other.
Episode 28 heartbreaking scene: Princess Sukhwi says goodbye to Kwang-hyun.


Photography lessons from “The King’s Doctor”

Natural frame
High angle shot
Linear perspective
Partial natural frames, aerial perspective

Rule of Thirds
Selective or differential focusing
Selective or differential focusing
Silhouette
Silhouette
Natural frames

“The King’s Doctor” and the full moon

In photography, we speak of shooting pictures using available light, ambient light, or existing light, which means not using any kind of flash. I don’t know how this drama’s cinematographer did it — day for night? CGI? elaborate studio set lighting? great scheduling? — but as you can see from the screen captures below, the cinematographer managed to get some beautifully-shot scenes with the full moon. The shadows fall in the right directions, and no artificial light sources can be seen.