(Note: Click the picture above to view or download a bigger copy.)
“Bossam” refers to a customary remarriage procedure during the Joseon Dynasty where a widow is kidnapped for money; the kidnapping may be with the widow’s consent. During those times, it was considered immoral for a woman to remarry after her husband’s death. (Wikipedia) |
From Wikipedia: “Bossam: Steal the Fate” is a South Korean television series directed by Kwon Seok-jang and starring Jung Il-woo, Kwon Yuri, Shin Hyun-soo, and Kim Tae-woo. It’s set in the Joseon Dynasty under Gwanghae-gun and depicts the change of fate of a bossam-man Ba-woo, when he mistakenly kidnaps the widowed daughter of the King. MBN’s 10th anniversary special drama premiered on May 1, 2021.
Genre: historical drama, romance.
“Bossam: Steal the Fate” ended by recording an average viewership of 9.8% nationwide in its last episode, thus becoming the highest-rated drama in the network’s history.
According to Nielsen Korea, the 20th episode of “Bossam: Steal the Fate,” aired on July 4, 2021, scored an average nationwide rating of 9.8% with a peak of 11.2%, and has set a new record for the highest viewership ever achieved by any drama in MBN’s history.
How I wrote these episode summaries with no spoilers
1. I assumed that you will be reading these summaries 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 summary starting with Episode 2, I placed in a table a recap of the major twists and turns of the previous episode. But because you have already watched the video of the previous episode, they aren’t spoilers anymore.
4. I followed this structure all throughout, except for Ep. 20 (Finale) where I included spoilers. Reason — most people want to know if the drama has a good/happy ending or a sad ending before they invest the time in watching it.
Episode 1
| Characters introduced in Ep. 1:
Ba-woo - a thug who offers his services for a fee in carrying out “bossam.” To support his son Cha-dol, sister, and mother, he’s also a gambler and a loan shark. Princess Hwa-in (Su-kyeong} - daughter of King Gwanghae and Royal Consort So-ui Yoon; she’s a widow, who lives with her in-laws. Lee Dae-yeob - youngest son of Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom; Princess Hwa-in’s brother-in-law. Lee Yi-cheom - Left State Councilor; Lee Dae-yeob’s father and Princess Hwa-in’s father-in-law; leader of the Greater Northern faction Chun-bae - Ba-woo’s accomplice Court Lady Jo - Princess Hwa-in’s attendant Court Lady Kim Gae-shi - a high ranking court lady who plays politics with the court ministers Haeindang Lee - Lee Dae-yeob’s widowed aunt |
After carrying out a bossam, Ba-woo and Chun-bae go to a gambling den. Later, when somebody from a "gibang" (gisaeng house) asks them for help because Sungkyungkwan scholars are fighting in one of the rooms, Ba-woo meets the scholars and becomes friends with Lee Dae-yeob.
On their way to the temple for her husband’s death anniversary, Princess Hwa-in and Court Lady Jo pass by the market. There, they see Ba-woo and Chun-bae fighting with other men over the non-payment of a loan.
In the temple, while Ba-woo meets the head monk, his young son Cha-dol sees Princess Hwa-in talking with a monk.
Ba-woo and Chun-bae get commissioned for another bossam. But Chun-bae is a bit drunk and becomes confused about where the widow lives.
Episode 2
| Ep. 1 recap:
When the man who commissioned the bossam dies unexpectedly, Ba-woo brings the widow whom he kidnapped to his house. But to his shock, his son Cha-dol says that the widow is Princess Hwa-in. |
Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom faces a dilemma when King Gwanghae tells him to bring Princess Hwa-in to the palace the next day. Later, he arouses the suspicion of Court Lady Kim Gae-shi when he asks her why King Gwanghae suddenly wants to see Princess Hwa-in.
Ba-woo and Chun-bae decide to secretly bring Princess Hwa-in back to Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom’s compound.
Episode 3
| Ep. 2 recap:
Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom deceives King Gwanghae that Princess Hwa-in committed suicide. Despite the threat against her family’s lives, Court Lady Jo reveals to Lee Dae-yeob that Princess Hwa-in is alive. Ba-woo flips flops about getting rid of Princess Hwa-in. He finally decides to lead her back to the palace, but along the way, Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom’s men spot them. They run away but are cornered by one of the men. Lee Dae-yeob arrives and rescues Princess Hwa-in; as Bawoo and Cha-dol start to leave, he threatens Ba-woo with his sword. |
Princess Hwa-in enters the palace in disguise. She tries to contact her mother Royal Consort So-ui Yoon by pleading with one of the water maids (“musuri”) to give her letter to her mother’s attendant.
Having found out that Ba-woo is the man who kidnapped Princess Hwa-in in a bossam, Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom orders his men to block all the gates in the capital to prevent Ba-woo and Princess Hwa-in from escaping.
Episode 4
| Ep. 3 recap:
Court Lady Kim Gae-shi warns Princess Hwa-in that she will place her father King Gwanghae and the royal family in mortal danger if she turns up alive; she says that Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom and the Greater Northern faction might possibly launch a rebellion. King Gwanghae recognizes Princess Hwa-in in her disguise as a water maid but pretends not to know her. Later, he orders his royal bodyguard to search for Princess Hwa-in. Ba-woo, Cha-dol, and Princess Hwa-in escape from the capital. After separating from Ba-woo and Cha-dol, Princess Hwa-in goes to a cliff and jumps into the river below. |
After Ba-woo rescues Princess Hwa-in (Su-kyeong), Cha-dol makes her promise not to try to take her life again; he also asks her if he could call her “mother.”
Ba-woo, Su-kyeong, and Cha-dol start living as if they’re a real family. But when Ba-woo finds it tough to get a job, he turns to gambling in order to put food on the table.
After Haeindang Lee pleads on Lee Dae-yeob’s behalf, Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom allows him to return to the temple to resume his studies.
While washing clothes at the stream, Su-kyeong overhears the other women praising the man who brought misfortune upon a nobleman whom they despise.
At the village market, Jung-yeong (King Gwanghae’s bodyguard) spots Su-kyeong.
Led by Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom, the ministers oppose King Gwanghae’s property tax plan. After telling the other ministers to leave, King Gwanghae confronts Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom about the bribes that he has been taking.
Episode 5
| Ep. 4 recap:
Ba-woo steals valuables from a nobleman’s house, with Cha-dol as his lookout. After refusing to eat the food that Ba-woo bought from what he stole, Su-kyeong later takes a job washing dishes in a tavern. Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom admits to King Gwanghae that he has been accepting bribes but justifies himself by saying that he used the bribes to finance the construction of the new palaces. King Gwanghae orders his bodyguard Jung-yeong to report Su-kyeong’s location to Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom’s men and to bring the evidence if Princess Hwa-in (Su-kyeong) dies because of the Left State Councilor’s order. As Ba-woo, Cha-dol, and Su-kyeong walk to the village market, Lee Dae-yeob suddenly appears and blocks their path; he strikes at Ba-woo with his sword, but Su-kyeong shields Ba-woo with her body. |
While Ba-woo and Lee Dae-yeob are fighting on the cliff, Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom’s men arrive and snatch Su-kyeong. In the ensuing chase and fight with the men in the woods, Lee Dae-yeob is slashed on the back with a sword.
Through Court Lady Kim Gae-shi, King Gwanghae meets Kim Ja-jeon, who’s a face reader and an ambitious minor official allied with the Western faction.
To avoid being tortured, Chun-bae reveals to Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom where Ba-woo and Princess Hwa-in (Su-kyeong) could be hiding.
Ba-woo asks his blacksmith-friend to forge a “mapae” (seal used by royal inspectors) and to spread the rumor that Court Lady Kim Gae-shi is distributing “legal wife certificates.”
Episode 6
| Ep. 5 recap:
On King Gwanghae’s order, Kim Ja-jeon reports to the royal court that Princess Hwa-in’s grave was placed in the worst of all possible locations. Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom panics that if Princess Hwa-in’s grave is moved, the truth will be revealed that she’s still alive. In order to pay the physician for the wild ginseng that Lee Dae-yeob needs to recuperate, Ba-woo and Su-kyeong pretend to be a eunuch and a government official from the Bureau of Treasury; they trick the concubine and son of a despised nobleman into buying a “legal wife certificate.” Despite Ba-woo’s protest, Su-kyeong pities the helpless patients at the health center and uses all the money from the despised nobleman’s concubine to pay for the patients’ medicine and food. She and Ba-woo then trick other concubines to buy their “legal wife certificates.” While Su-kyeong and Ba-woo are tricking another concubine, the real eunuch from the Bureau of Treasury and his escorts arrive. |
Su-kyeong tells Ba-woo that she will leave him and Cha-dol once Lee Dae-yeob recovers fully and leaves. But Lee Dae-yeob says that he won’t leave if she doesn’t come back with him.
To save Su-kyeong, Lee Dae-yeob asks Ba-woo to steal from his father’s house the “Myeong Sa Chol Gwon,” a medal that was given by King Gwanghae to a select group of ministers; the medal guarantees that the death penalty will not be imposed on a minister for any crime except for treason.
After Kim Ja-jeon tells him that King Gwanghae has scheduled the transfer of Princess Hwa-in’s grave in seven days, Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom orders his right hand man to check up on Lee Dae-yeob at the temple.
While Ba-woo is outside Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom’s compound waiting for the right time to sneak in, a fire engulfs the storage shed and threatens the whole compound.
Episode 7
|
Ep. 6 recap:
Ba-woo is the son of a noble family that was killed on Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom’s orders. Lee Dae-yeob presents the “Myeong Sa Chol Gwon” to King Gwanghae and tells him that Princess Hwa-in is alive and that he will take her to a faraway place. King Gwanghae forces Court Lady Kim Gae-shi to confess that she talked with Princess Hwa-in in the palace. Later, upon receiving Lady Kim Gae-shi’s message, Kim Ja-jeon orders slave hunters to go after Princess Hwa-in. King Gwanghae tells Court Lady Kim Gae-shi that he does not intend to forgive Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom and that Lee Dae-yeob will not be able to bring Princess Hwa-in back to the palace. |
At the temple, Ba-woo tells the head monk of his conflicted emotions about wanting revenge for the deaths of his family, grandfather, and uncles and his actions towards Princess Hwa-in (Su-kyeong), the daughter-in-law of the man responsible for all their deaths. Later, he leaves the temple after telling Chun-bae to bring Cha-dol to Hanyang.
Lee Dae-yeob sees his father’s men approach Ba-woo’s house on the mountain. But the men don’t find Princess Hwa-in (Su-kyeong) there. Unknown to them, the slave hunters sent by Kim Ja-jeon have captured her and Lady Jo. Lee Dae-yeob rushes off on his horse to search for Princess Hwa-in (Su-kyeong) and Lady Jo; he comes upon a group of itinerant peddlers who tell him that the river is the only other way to Hanyang.
After Kim Ja-jeon reports that his men have captured Princess Hwa-in (Su-kyeong), King Gwanghae tells him to move the grave first before bringing her to the palace.
Episode 8
| Ep. 7 recap:
From the boat, Ba-woo follows the slave hunters as they drag Princess Hwa-in (Su-kyeong) and Court Lady Jo through the streets of Hanyang. But he loses track of them when Lee Dae-yeob blocks his way. Through his contact at the gisaeng house, Ba-woo finds out where the slave hunters have taken Princess Hwa-in (Su-kyeong) and Lady Jo. While he argues with Lee Dae-yeob about how to rescue them, Lee Dae-yeob reveals that he and Princess Hwa-in were supposed to have been married. King Gwanghae tells Lady Kim Gae-shi that he can sidestep the protection guaranteed to Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom by the “Myeong Sa Chol Gwon” medal. While Ba-woo is watching Kim Ja-jeon’s house, Lee Dae-yeob goes back to his father’s house. |
Lee Dae-yeob confesses to his father, brother, and aunt that he made a deal with King Gwanghae by using the “Myeong Sa Chol Gwon” medal; he realizes however that, with Princess Hwa-in (Su-kyeong) being held captive by Kim Ja-jeon, King Gwanghae has broken his promise to him.
Su-kyeong realizes why Kim Ja-jeon is holding her captive on King Gwanghae’s order; she tells Court Lady Jo that she will end everything to stop causing troubles for everyone. Meanwhile, when nightfall comes and Lee Dae-yeob has not arrived with his father’s personal army, Ba-woo decides to sneak into Kim Ja-jeon’s compound.
After King Gwanghae and Lord Nae Am leave his house, Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom leads his personal army to Kim Ja-jeon’s compound. While he and some of his personal army are in a standoff with Kim Ja-jeon and his slaves at the compound’s gate, Lee Dae-yeob, his brother, and their men search the compound for Princess Hwa-in and Court Lady Jo.
Episode 9
| Ep. 8 recap:
Ba-woo and Su-kyeong make it appear that she hanged herself. Later, Ba-woo makes a deal with Kim Ja-jeon, revealing that he is the grandson of King Sunjo’s father-in-law, Lord Kim Jae-nam. He asks Kim Ja-jeon to deliver Princess Hwa-in’s last will to King Gwanghae. After Lee Dae-yeob finds out where she is hiding, Princess Hwa-in (Su-kyeong) insists on leaving by symbolically cutting off her ties with him. |
Ba-woo refuses to let Su-kyeong leave on her separate way, confessing that he wants to protect her. Later on, they settle to a new life in Jemulpo (present day Inchon).
In the palace, Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom forces King Gwanghae to compromise by accusing the Minister of Defense of accepting bribes from merchant groups and Court Lady Kim Gae-shi of illegally selling government certificates. He also uses the Office of the Inspector General to intimidate Kim Ja-jeon.
Ba-woo works as a porter on the wharf, refusing the offer of help from a thug he knew from Hanyang; meanwhile, Chun-bae plans to make money with his elder brother by smuggling silk from Ming.
When Kim Ja-jeon pleads for help, Court Lady Kim Gae-shi tells him that he needs to get the new Ming emperor to recognize Royal Noble Consort Gong, the mother of King Gwanghae, so as to legitimize King Gwanghae’s reign. But she clarifies that King Gwanghae wants the recognition without Joseon being dragged into the war between the Ming Empire and the Latter Jin Dynasty.
Episode 10
| Ep. 9 recap:
Chun-bae’s plan backfires when the boat carrying the smuggled silk sinks because of the heavy rains. With Chun-bae’s brother threatening not only to evict them but also to sell all of them off as slaves, Su-kyeong is forced to paint a book of erotica. The thug who survived the boat’s sinking tells Ba-woo that the boat is actually smuggling copper and sulfur that are meant for the manufacture of guns and gunpowder. After Kim Ja-jeon reveals that Ba-woo is actually Kim Dae-seok, the grandson of King Sunjo’s father-in-law, Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom orders his men to snatch Ba-woo’s mother and younger sister, who were sentenced to slavery. |
Ba-woo sees his mother and sister taken hostage into Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom’s compound. Later, he finds out from the thug who survived the boat’s sinking that a very important person from Ming will be coming to Joseon.
After Su-kyeong finally finishes drawing and writing the book which she titled as “The Story of Won Yeong,” Chun-bae and Lady Jo help market it to various groups of people. But as Ba-woo returns to Jemulpo, he finds out what Su-kyeong, Lady Jo, and Chun-bae are doing and orders them to stop.
At the town center, Ba-woo turns away from the crowd who are gathered around a wanted poster with his portrait and name “Kim Dae-seok.” He sees Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom’s eldest son and right hand man escorting a Ming official and follows them. From a gisaeng, he finds out that Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom has bribed the Ming official with boxes of silver taels in exchange for delivering a letter to Eunuch Wei, the power behind the new Ming emperor.
Kim Ja-jeon gets hold of a copy of Su-kyeong’s book and, during a meeting of the royal court, uses it against Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom’s eldest son, the police chief.
Episode 11
| Ep. 10 recap:
Ba-woo steals Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom’s letter from the Ming official; in the letter, Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom asks Eunuch Wei for help in dethroning King Gwanghae, promising in return to send 10,000 Joseon soldiers to help Ming in its war with the Later Jin Dynasty. Ba-woo sneaks into Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom’s quarters and tells him that he will give him the letter in exchange for his mother and sister’s freedom. Lee Dae-yeob recognizes that Princess Hwa-in (Su-kyeong) created the drawings in the book “The Story of Won Yeong.” But he arrests Ba-woo instead. While Lee Dae-yeob is questioning Ba-woo, Su-kyeong learns about Ba-woo’s real identity and that his mother and sister are being held hostage by Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom. |
Ba-woo and Su-kyeong confess their affection for each other But later at the gate, while she’s telling Chun-bae to give Ba-woo’s letter to the head monk, Lee Dae-yeob sees her.
When Ba-woo does not appear during the scheduled time and date, Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom decides to test if King Gwanghae already has his letter to Eunuch Wei by going on the offensive against the rival Western faction. His son, the police chief, orders the bookstore owner to fabricate a ledger showing that the families of the Western faction bought copies of the book “The Story of Won Yeong.” During the meeting of the royal court, the police chief presents the ledger to King Gwanghae.
In anger and to protect the ministers from the Western faction, King Gwanghae orders his bodyguard to kill the bookseller and the artist (Ba-woo) responsible for the book. But Court Lady Kim Gae-shi cautions him to make their deaths look like suicides.
To save Ba-woo, Su-kyeong tells Chun-bae and Court Lady Jo that they must find the genuine ledger.
Episode 12
| Ep. 11 recap:
Lee Dae-yeob has not told his father and brother that he has arrested Ba-woo; he also gives Ba-woo a new “hopae” with a fake identity. King Gwanghae’s bodyguard kills the bookstore owner, but fail’s to kill Ba-woo when Lee Dae-yeob fights him off. Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom’s men corner Su-kyeong and Chun-bae. But Lee Dae-yeob rescues them; he has also stolen the genuine ledger. Su-kyeong gives the genuine ledger to Kim Ja-jeon and asks him to plead with King Gwanghae to restore Ba-woo’s status as the grandson of King Sunjo’s father-in-law. Court Lady Kim Gae-shi orders Kim Ja-jeon to capture and kill Princess Hwa-in (Su-kyeong). But King Gwanghae finds out from his bodyguard that Princess Hwa-in could still be alive. At the interrogation grounds, Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom is stunned that the prisoner is actually Ba-woo. |
Ba-woo confirms to King Gwanghae that he is indeed the grandson of King Sunjo’s father-in-law. King Gwanghae tells him that he must become his sword and shield by passing the special military exam.
Lee Dae-yeob hastily leaves his family’s compound; when his brother, the police chief, wonders if he has found out his real identity, Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom orders that his sister Haeindang Lee be brought back from the temple immediately.
Using the genuine ledger, King Gwanghae pressures Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom to appease the Western faction by restoring the status of everyone in the plot involving Grand Prince Yeongchang.
With his status restored and his family’s confiscated properties returned, Ba-woo says goodbye to Su-kyeong. But as he and Cha-dol are about to leave, King Gwanghae’s bodyguard and his men arrive.
Episode 13
| Ep. 12 recap:
King Gwanghae tells Lee Dae-yeob to pass the military exams and prove himself loyal to him. Ba-woo gives to Lee Dae-yeob Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom’s letter to Eunuch Wei. King Gwanghae forces Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom to release Ba-woo’s mother and sister. Later, he and Princess Hwa-in reconcile. He allows her to live in Ba-woo’s house in Hanyang, with a military unit to guard her. Lee Dae-yeob asks forgiveness from his father Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom, saying that he had to trick Ba-woo in order to retrieve the letter to Eunuch Wei. Haeindang Lee threatens her brother Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom that if he doesn’t forgive Lee Dae-yeob, she will reveal the truth about Lee Dae-yeob’s real identity. Later, as a test of loyalty, Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom orders Lee Dae-yeob to shoot and kill Ba-woo during the military exams, making it appear like an accident. As an insurance in case Lee Dae-yeob backs out, Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom bribes a candidate in the military exams to shoot Ba-woo. |
The ministers conclude that Ba-woo’s shooting was accidental and thus allow the man who shot him to go free. After they’re dismissed by an enraged King Gwanghae, they privately discuss how the Crown Prince can take over as regent.
Ba-woo asks King Gwanghae for two weeks to do something about Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom; meanwhile, Su-kyeong investigates Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom’s possible ties to the smuggling of silk from Ming.
Ba-woo and Chun-bae follow up Su-kyeong’s tip, but at the silk store, Ba-woo sees his sister’s husband.
Fed up with the way Ba-woo’s mother treats Su-kyeong, Court Lady Jo decides to contact Royal Noble Consort Yun, Su-kyeong’s mother.
Episode 14
| Ep. 13 recap:
After reading Princess Hwa-in's letter, Court Lady Kim Gae-shi tells the court maid to deliver the letter to Royal Noble Consort Yun; she then orders Kim Ja-jeon to find out if Princess Hwa-in is hiding in Ba-woo's house. Royal Noble Consort Yun pleads with King Gwanghae to let her meet Princess Hwa-in (Su-kyeong). After Ba-woo finds the evidence, King Gwanghae dismisses the eldest son of Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom as police chief. Later, at the gisaeng house, the former police chief kills Ba-woo's brother-in-law after finding out that he was the mole responsible for busting the smuggling ring. |
As his medical condition worsens, King Gwanghae orders the Royal Physician to give some more of the medicine that he has been taking. Back at the Royal Pharmacy, the Royal Physician meets Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom.
While trying to find out how he can have revenge on the former police chief, Ba-woo learns from his gisaeng-informant about the outrageous activities of the Minister of Justice’s son, including the kidnapping of a commoner’s wife.
Court Lady Kim Gae-shi offers to work together with Ba-woo in order to save Kim Ja-jeon; she warns him that Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom has a contact among the royal guards.
Su-kyeong tells Ba-woo to accept Court Lady Kim Gae-shi’s offer but warns him not to fully trust her or King Gwanghae.
The Minister of Justice pleads with Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom to help him. While they’re asking for an audience, King Gwanghae collapses.
When Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom refuses to dismiss the Royal Physician and to assign another physician to look after King Gwanghae, Court Lady Kim Gae-shi orders the king’s trusted bodyguard to kill the Royal Physician.
With the Queen’s consent, Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom pleads with Crown Prince Neungyang to temporarily take over as regent for King Gwanghae.
Episode 15
| Ep. 14 recap:
Through the mask drama players, Court Lady Kim Gae-shi helps Princess Hwa-in (Su-kyeong) meet her mother Royal Noble Consort Yun. Later, when the palace is locked down after King Gwanghae collapses, she and Lee Dae-yeob help Princess Hwa-in (Su-kyeong) to escape. Crown Prince Neungyang reinstates the Minister of Justice and the eldest son of Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom as police chief. Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom manipulates Crown Prince Neungyang to send Ba-woo to investigate what’s happening at the border between Ming General Mao Wenlong and his enemy, the northern barbarian General Amin. Cha-dol’s biological mother suddenly arrives in Ba-woo’s house. |
Ba-woo’s mother allows Cha-dol’s biological mother to stay after finding out that she’s from a noble family.
Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom pressures King Gwanghae to abandon Kim Dae-seok (Ba-woo) and to provide food rations and a war chest for Ming General Mao Wenlong. But King Gwanghae is worried about Joseon being dragged into the war between the Ming Empire and the Later Jin Dynasty.
Ba-woo and Lee Dae-yeob escape from their prison cell; in the woods, the man who shot Ba-woo during the military exams shoots at him but hits Lee Dae-yeob instead.
Episode 16
| Ep. 15 recap:
Cha-dol’s biological mother bullies Su-kyeong and tries her best to win the affections of Ba-woo’s mother and sister. Acting on Su-kyeong’s letter, the head monk helps Ba-woo and Lee Dae-yeob to escape. General Amin’s soldiers capture Ba-woo and Lee Dae-yeob; they find on Lee Dae-yeob the letter from Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom to Ming General Mao Wenlong. |
Cha-dol’s biological mother continues to bully Su-kyeong, hoping to drive her away before Ba-woo returns.
Through the help of a former Joseon military officer, Ba-woo and Lee Dae-yeob are released by General Amin. Ba-woo reports to King Gwanghae how Joseon could avoid being dragged into the war between the Ming Empire and the Later Jin Dynasty, but Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom opposes the plan to restrict General Mao Wenlong in his island refuge.
Lee Dae-yeob justifies his actions to Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom by saying that Ming is about to collapse as an empire and that the Later Jin Dynasty is not barbaric as has been claimed.
Ba-woo drags his wife out of the house, but she stops him by threatening to reveal that Princess Hwa-in is hiding in his house.
Episode 17
| Ep. 16 recap:
Ba-woo reveals to his mother that Su-kyeong is actually Princess Hwa-in, daughter of King Gwanghae. After overhearing the head monk tell Ba-woo, his mother, and his sister that he will take her to the temple, Cha-dol’s biological mother reports to Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom that Princess Hwa-in is alive and hiding in Ba-woo’s house. Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom takes his contact with the royal guards to help him and his men deal with the guards at Ba-woo’s house. But at the front gate, Princess Hwa-in (Su-kyeong) meets them alone. |
Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom and his men are forced to retreat from killing or taking Princess Hwa-in (Su-kyeong) with them when dozens of civilians turn up at the house for the scheduled distribution of rice.
After denying Princess Hwa-in’s request to marry Ba-woo, King Gwanghae visits Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom; he offers to forget all of the day’s events if they can work together again for Joseon’s welfare.
Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom stirs up the people’s resentments through riots and slanderous posters against King Gwanghae as a prelude to launching a coup. The posters accuse King Gwanghae of killing his brothers and nephew and of conniving with Court Lady Kim Gae-shi in poisoning the late king.
King Gwanghae meets Ba-woo, Lee Dae-yeob, Kim Ja-jeon, and Court Lady Kim Gae-shi. He orders Lee Dae-yeob to bring the evidence to back up his claim that there’s no evidence that his father Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom fomented the public unrest.
Episode 18
| Ep. 17 recap:
The assassins fail to kill Princess Hwa-in when King Gwanghae and his royal guards arrive. Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom blackmails Court Lady Kim Gae-shi by threatening to bring out the Royal Chef who prepared the poison for the late king. Later, Court Lady Kim Gae-shi tells Ba-woo that to ensure the restoration of his status and the safety of King Gwanghae and Princess Hwa-in, he must find and kill the Royal Chef. Lee Dae-yeob gets caught after finding the document signed by Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom and the conspirators in the coup plot against King Gwanghae. Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom reveals to Lee Dae-yeob that he is actually the grandson of Prince Imhae, the eldest son of the late king. |
Lee Dae-yeob says that he does not want to become the next king. But Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom entices him by saying that if he’s the king, he can have Princess Hwa-in as his queen because a king can have no shame. Later, he tells his mother (whom he has always known and called as aunt) that when he becomes king, he will take Princess Hwa-in and make her his queen.
While chasing the Royal Chef, Ba-woo and Chun-bae stumble upon a meeting of Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom and his faction of ministers involved in the coup plot.
Episode 19
| Ep. 18 recap:
After overhearing his mother threaten Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom by saying that she will reveal his very last secret, Lee Dae-yeob tells Ba-woo to run away with Princess Hwa-in. Ba-woo and Su-kyeong get married. Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom brings the Royal Chef to King Gwanghae. Cornered, King Gwanghae agrees reluctantly when Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom says that Princess Hwa-in must die. He also orders that the restoration of status granted to Ba-woo and others be rescinded. In exchange, Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom orders that the Royal Chef be killed. After King Gwanghae’s bodyguard warns him of the danger, Ba-woo sends his mother, his sister, and Cha-dol to the temple. Su-kyeong suggests to Ba-woo, Court Lady Jo, and Chun-bae that they could hide in the West Palace where Grand Queen Inmok has been confined. But while trying to climb over the wall of the West Palace, they’re caught by the guards. |
Lee Dae-yeob rescues Princess Hwa-in (Su-kyeong) and Chun-bae; while hiding in his mother’s quarters, he learns that Princess Hwa-in (Su-kyeong) has gotten married to Ba-woo.
As a countermeasure based on Goryeo history, King Gwanghae considers the plan for a self-coup to be launched by the Western faction against Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom and his faction. He orders Court Lady Kim Gae-shi to find out from Kim Ja-jeon if the Westerners have ulterior motives.
Ba-woo swears to King Gwanghae that if he cannot stop the coup plot, he will kill Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom and himself. Later on, together with Lee Dae-yeob, he finds out where the rebel troops are being trained.
Episode 20, Finale (with spoilers)
| Ep. 19 recap:
Lee Dae-yeob burns the evidence from his mother that proves Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom killed his father Prince Imhae. Ba-woo blows up the coup plotters’ armory of swords, rifles, and bombs, but Lee Dae-yeob gets caught by Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom’s men. In the palace, after Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom gives King Gwanghae two hours to give up Princess Hwa-in, Court Lady Kim Gae-shi betrays Princess Hwa-in. Royal Noble Consort Yun slaps Court Lady Kim Gae-shi and confronts King Gwanghae about why he abandoned Princess Hwa-in to Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom. |
Lee Dae-yeob dies in the clash between Left State Councilor Lee Yi-cheom’s private army and Ba-woo’s men.
During the rebellion, Kim Ja-jeon captures Court Lady Kim Gae-shi; meanwhile, Court Lady Jo and Chun-bae save Royal Noble Consort Yun.
The Westerners reinstate Grand Queen Inmok; with King Gwanghae overthrown and exiled, they install Prince Neungyang as the new king.
Princess Hwa-in (Su-kyeong) hides with her mother Royal Noble Consort Yun in the temple. She decides to become a nun, realizing that a dethroned king’s daughter will never be allowed to be with the nephew of the Grand Queen. But before she can take her vows, Ba-woo and Cha-dol kidnap her.
Historical / cultural backgrounders and other information
1. From Wikipedia: “Bossam” refers to a customary remarriage procedure during the Joseon Dynasty where a widow is kidnapped for money; the kidnapping may be with the widow’s consent. During those times, it was considered immoral for a woman to remarry after her husband’s death.
| Movies and dramas that depict Gwanghae-gun “Masquerade” (2012; portrayed by Lee Byung-hun) “Warriors of the Dawn” (2017; portrayed by Yeo Jin-goo) “Goddess of Fire” (2013) “The King’s Face” (2014) “Splendid Politics” aka “Hwajung” (2015) “The Crowned Clown”(2019) |
Gwanghaegun was the second son of King Seonjo, born to Lady Kim (Gongbin), a concubine. When Japan invaded Korea to attack the Ming Empire, he was installed as Crown Prince. When the king fled north to the border of Ming, he set up a branch court and fought defensive battles. During and after the Seven Year War (1592–1598), he acted as the de facto ruler of the Joseon Dynasty, commanding battles and taking care of the reconstruction of the nation after the devastating wars, in the place of old and weak King Seonjo.
Although it brought prestige to him, his position was still unstable. He had an elder but incompetent brother Prince Imhae (Imhaegun, 임해군, 臨海君) and a younger but legitimate brother Grand Prince Yeong-chang (Yeong-chang Daegun, 영창대군, 永昌大君), who was supported by the Lesser Northerners faction. Fortunately for Gwang-hae, King Seonjo’s abrupt death made it impossible for his favorite son Yeong-chang to succeed to the throne.
Violence of Greater Northerner faction
Before King Seonjo died, he named Prince Gwang-hae as his official successor to the throne and ordered his advisers to make a royal document. However, Lyu Young-gyong of the Lesser Northerners faction hid the document and plotted to install Prince Yeong-chang as king, only to be found out by the head of the Great Northerners faction (대북; 大北), Chung In-hong. Lyu was executed immediately and Prince Yeong-chang was arrested and died the next year.
After the incident, Gwang-hae tried to bring officials from various political and regional background to his court, but his plan was interrupted by Greater Northerners including Lee Icheom and Chung In-hong. Then, Greater Northerners began to take members of other political factions out of the government, especially Lesser Northerners. In 1613, the Greater Northerners moved against Prince Yeong-chang; his grandfather Kim Jenam was found guilty of treason and executed, while Yeong-chang was sent into exile, where he too was executed. At the same time, Greater Northerners suppressed the Lesser Northerners; in 1618, Yeong-chang’s mother, Queen In-mok, was stripped of her title and imprisoned. Gwang-hae had no power to stop this even though he was the official head of the government.
Achievements
Despite his poor reputation after his death, he was a talented and pragmatic politician. He endeavored to restore the country and sponsored the restoration of documents. As a part of reconstruction, he revised land ordinance and redistributed land to the people; he also ordered the rebuilding of Changdeok Palace along with several other palaces. Additionally, he was responsible for the reintroduction of the hopae identification system after a long period of disuse.
In foreign affairs he sought a balance between the Ming Empire and the Manchus. Since he realized Joseon was unable to compete with Manchu military power, he tried to maintain friendly relationship with the Manchus while the kingdom was still under the suzerainty of Ming, which angered the Ming and dogmatic Confucian Koreans. The critically worsened Manchu-Ming relationship forced him to send ten thousand soldiers to aid Ming in 1619. However, the Battle of Sarhū ended in Manchu’s overwhelming victory. The Korean General Gang Hong-rip lost two-thirds of his troops and surrendered to Nurhaci. Gwanghaegun negotiated independently for peace with the Manchus and managed to avoid another war. He also restored diplomatic relationship with Japan in 1609 when he reopened trade with Japan through Treaty of Giyu, and sent his ambassadors to Japan in 1617.
In the domestic sphere, Gwanghaegun implemented the Daedong law, which let his subjects pay their taxes more easily. However, this law was activated only in Gyeonggi Province, which was the largest granary zone at that time, and it took a century for the law to be extended across the whole kingdom. He encouraged publishing in order to accelerate reconstruction and to restore the kingdom’s former prosperity. Many books were written during his reign, including the famous medical book Donguibogam, and several historical records were rewritten in this period. In 1616, tobacco was first introduced to Korea and it soon became popular amongst the Korean aristocracy.
Dethronement and later life
On April 6, 1623, Gwanghaegun was deposed in a coup by the Westerners faction. The coup directed by Kim Yu took place at night, Gwanghaegun fled but was captured later.[3] He was confined first on Ganghwa Island and then on Jeju Island, where he died in 1641. He does not have a royal mausoleum like the other Joseon rulers. His and Lady Ryu’s remains were buried at a comparatively humble site in Namyangju in Gyeonggi Province. The Westerners faction installed Neungyanggun as the sixteenth king Injo who promulgated pro-Ming and anti-Manchu policies, which resulted in two subsequent Manchu invasions.
In modern South Korea, Gwanghaegun is considered one of the wiser kings rather than a despot.
Relevant resources:
“Controversy reignited over King Gwanghae” (Korea JoongAng Daily, 2012)
“What if Prince Gwanghae of Joseon wasn’t cooped and remained in power?” (Quora)
3. In Ep. 3, Ba-woo, Cha-dol, and Princess Hwa-in are on their way to the palace. After Princess Hwa-in hurts her foot, Ba-woo goes to the market to buy a pair of shoes. The store owner sells to him a pair of red “danghye,” which was crafted for Princess Hwa-in’s wedding.
That “danghye” appears in several other scenes, most notably in Ep. 20 (Finale).
From “The Light Steps of Grace”: “The type of Danghye worn by the noble women in the Joseon Dynasty was made of leather or silk, and covered with silk. The heels were low, and the tips were pointy and rolled up. The interior lining was smooth with cushion. The shoes were covered with a thick layer of finely bright silk to achieve graceful beauty.”
From “The Joseon Fashion Show – Footwear Special Part 2 – Shoes”: “In the Joseon Dynasty, shoes were not only used as foot coverings and decorations, but also as indicators of social class and status. The materials and shapes of shoes differed depending on gender, class, job, social background, income and attire.”
From “Traditional shoes represent Korean beauty, elegance” (The Korea Times, 2011): “Gatsin,” better known as flower shoes, are traditional Korean leather shoes which are separated into two kinds, “hwa” (boots) and “hye” (low-rise shoes). “Gatsin” or leather shoes were originally only worn by “yangban” (noble class) and royal families while the commoners wore wooden clogs or straw shoes during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910).
4. In Ep. 15, Ba-woo and Lee Dae-yeob are captured by soldiers under Ming General Mao Wenlong. While they’re in jail, a woman gives Ba-woo rice wrapped in paper. To Ba-woo’s surprise, he sees a symbol on top of the rice. He bites off that part of the rice with the symbol before a Ming soldier takes the rice from him.
To people from Western countries, that symbol on top of the rice looks like a “swastika,” the Nazi symbol that has come to represent hate, oppression, and genocide of the Jewish people during World War II. But that symbol is actually the Buddhist “manja” cross.
(The rice given to Ba-woo came from the head monk, who helps him and Lee Dae-yeob escape from their jail cell.)
From Wikipedia:
The swastika symbol, 卐 or 卍, today primarily recognized in the West for its use by the Nazi party, is an ancient religious icon in various Eurasian cultures. It is used as a symbol of divinity and spirituality in Indian religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
In the Western world, it was a symbol of auspiciousness and good luck until the 1930s when the German Nazi Party adopted a right-facing (’clockwise’) form and used it as an emblem of the Aryan race. As a result of World War II and the Holocaust, many people in the West still strongly associate it with Nazism and antisemitism. The swastika continues to be used as a symbol of good luck and prosperity in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain countries such as Nepal, India, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, China and Japan. It is also commonly used in Hindu marriage ceremonies.
In Hindu and Buddhist cultures, the swastika is a holy symbol. On the day of Diwali, Hindu households commonly use the swastika in decorations. Reverence for the swastika symbol in Asian cultures, in contrast to the West’s stigmatisation of the symbol, has led to misinterpretations and misunderstandings.
In East Asia, the swastika is prevalent in Buddhist monasteries and communities. It is commonly found in Buddhist temples, religious artefacts, texts related to Buddhism and schools founded by Buddhist religious groups. It also appears as a design or motif (singularly or woven into a pattern) on textiles, architecture and various decorative objects as a symbol of luck and good fortune. The icon is also found as a sacred symbol in the Bon tradition, but in the left-facing orientation.
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