From Wikipedia: “The Red Sleeve” (lit. “The Red Sleeve Cuff”) is a South Korean television series starring Lee Jun-ho, Lee Se-young, and Kang Hoon. It premiered on November 12, 2021, on MBC’s newly established Fridays and Saturdays at 22:00 (KST) time slot. The drama is based on the novel “The Red Sleeve Cuff” by Kang Mi-kang. Genre: romance, historical drama.
The drama’s average audience share according to Nielsen Korea was 11.0% (Nationwide) and 10.7% (Seoul). Nationwide, nine of its episodes were ranked 2nd in its time slot.
In the MBC Drama Awards, “The Red Sleeve” and its cast won the following awards: Drama of the Year; Best Writer Award; Best New Actor, Kang Hoon; Best Supporting Actress, Jang Hye-jin; Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries, Lee Jun-ho; and Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries, Lee Se-young.
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. 17 (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. “The Red Sleeve” follows what actually happened in history, and thus, it has a bittersweet ending.
Episode 1
Sung Deok-im is a young court maid who reads stories to her fellow court maids in exchange for valuable items that she can sell later on. After one storytelling session and as she’s arguing with her friends — Kyung-hee, Young-hee, and Bok-yeon — about why she needs the money, they’re caught by Head Court Lady Jo.
Head Court Lady Jo orders Deok-im to pay respects, on behalf of the court ladies, to the late Royal Noble Consort Yeong — Crown Prince Yi-san’s biological grandmother and King Yeongjo’s beloved concubine. Late at night, Deok-im gets lost on the way to Royal Noble Consort Yeong’s residence; on a river bank, she comes across Yi San, who has sneaked away from the palace to pay his respects to his grandmother.
Yi San doesn’t tell Deok-im that he’s the Crown Prince. As they kneel before Royal Noble Consort Yeong’s remains, King Yeongjo arrives. Yi San escapes, but Deok-im stays inside the room.
Days later, Yi San faces punishment and possible dethronement as Crown Prince for reading a book that has been forbidden because it mentions the lowborn status of King Yeongjo’s mother.
Episode 2
| Ep. 1 recap:
King Yeongjo gives Deok-im the book “Moral Education for Women,” written by Royal Noble Consort Yeong. Head Court Lady Jo tells Deok-im that she can stay a long time in the palace and die there if she becomes the king’s woman. Deok-im rescues Yi San by finding the forbidden book and tearing off the pages that mention the lowly status of King Yeongjo’s mother. But later, Yi San’s tutor Hong Deok-ro claims the credit for saving him. Years later ... While rushing to her duties, Deok-im trips and slides down a small hill and then crashes into Yi San. |
Flashback ... Yi San, his bodyguard Kang Tae-ho, and his royal guards chase after the tiger that has already killed a dozen people.
On the pondside, as Yi San argues with his bodyguard Kang Tae-ho about how to deal with the tiger, Deok-im crashes into him after she trips and slides down the small hill.
Yi San orders that Deok-im be punished for causing the incident on the pond. At the pavilion, Deok-im meets Princess Cheongyeon and Princess Cheongseon, who become concerned after they find out that she’s being punished.
Someone shoots an arrow into a post of Yi-san’s quarters, alarming the court attendants and the royal guards. After reading the note attached to the arrow, Yi San wants to meet the “Dongdukhoe” (his allies) immediately, but Hong Dok-reo pleads with him not to be rash, promising to catch the perpetrator.
Deok-im meets Yi San in the Crown Prince’s library, but Yi San doesn’t reveal who he is; instead, he pretends to be Hong Deok-ro, the Crown Prince’s lecturer.
Yi-san watches from afar the preparations for the festival of the court maids. While listening to Deok-im read a story for the court maids, he remembers his father Crown Prince Sado.
In the presence of Yi San’s mother Hong Hye-bin, Royal Noble Consort Moon Suk-ui, and Queen Jungsoon, King Yeongjo orders Hong Deok-ro to tell Yi San to stop submitting petitions asking for permission to use the royal guards in hunting down the tiger. With Royal Consort Moon Suk-ui’s reminder, he also asks Hong Deok-ro what happened several nights ago when the lights in Yi-san’s quarters were on throughout the night.
Episode 3
| Ep. 2 recap:
Deok-im becomes exasperated when Yi San orders her to rewrite her letter of apology over and over again. After studying the tiger hunters’ map that Deok-im found in the library, Yi San and his royal guards set out to hunt down the tiger, even without King Yeongjo’s permission. Finding out that the tiger has gone into the palace (where the court maids are celebrating their festival), Yi San rushes to the library and takes Deok-im with him. |
The ministers petition King Yeongjo to punish Yi San for mobilizing the royal guards without permission and killing the tiger; later, Princess Hwahan orders her adopted son Royal Secretary Jung Baek-ik to pressure Second State Councilor Hong Jung-yeo into petitioning King Yeongjo to depose Yi San as Crown Prince.
Deok-im finds out from Princess Cheongyeon and Princess Cheongseon that if King Yeongjo forgives the Crown Prince, he will also forgive all those who joined in the tiger hunt (which includes the man she has come to know as the Crown Prince’s lecturer and who saved her and the court maids from the tiger). Thus, she works through the night transcribing the novel that Princess Cheongyeon and Princess Cheongseon will use as an excuse to see King Yeongjo and ask for forgiveness on Yi San’s behalf.
When King Yeongjo refuses to see them, Princess Cheongyeon and Princess Cheongsun beg Queen Jungsoon to help them. But Queen Jungsoon says that she can’t disobey King Yeongjo’s command; after hearing Deok-im’s gratitude for Crown Prince Yi San saving her life and those of the court maids, she says that, on the princesses’ behalf, Deok-im should seek an audience with King Yeongjo.
On her way to King Yeongjo’s quarters, Deok-im passes by the main courtyard where she sees Crown Prince Yi San.
Episode 4
| Ep. 3 recap:
Deok-im moves King Yeongjo’s heart and mind by telling him about her family’s life and why she has been trying to save 100 yang for the last ten years for her brother’s sake. King Yeongjo forgives Yi San. Hong Deok-ro refuses to ally himself with Second State Councilor Hong Jung-yeo; he says that by the time Yi San becomes the king, his sister will be a Royal Concubine. Head Court Lady Jo secretly works with Second State Councilor Hong Jung-yeo to prevent Yi San from becoming the next king. Princess Cheongyeon brings Deok-im along with her as she meets Yi-san on the bridge. There, Deok-im finally finds out that the man whom she knows as the Crown Prince’s lecturer is actually the Crown Prince. |
Deok-im becomes angry that Yi San deceived her by pretending that he’s the Crown Prince’s lecturer. As she packs up her things at the library, she badmouths Yi San, not knowing that he’s in the library. Later, despite her pleas with Court Lady Seo, she’s assigned to be Yi San’s personal handmaid.
During a meeting of the “Dongdukhoe” (Yi San’s allies), Yi San revealed that a royal guard tried to kill him during the tiger hunt. So that he can speak in private with Yi San, Hong Deok-ro sends Deok-im on an errand. He tells Yi San that they have identified the royal guard, but Wol-hye, a court maid, listens in on their conversation.
On the court maids’ day off before the coming-of-age ceremony, Deok-im visits her benefactor Hong Hye-bin, Yi San’s mother. Later, after returning to the palace, she gets into trouble with Princess Hwahan, who orders her punished with 100 lashes.
Episode 5
| Ep. 4 recap:
Hong Hye-bin orders Deok-im to report to her everything that Yi San does. After Queen Jungsoon and King Yeongjo intervene, Deok-im is saved from the punishment of 100 lashes that Princess Hwahan wants. Hong Hye-bin becomes concerned that Yi San is visiting a courtesan house and orders Deok-im to follow him. Deok-im climbs over a wall in the courtesan house, but she’s accosted by several warriors. Hong Deok-ro orders the warriors to kill her. |
After Deok-im confesses that she was following Hong Hye-bin’s order, Yi San brings her to the Dongdukhoe meeting. But Hong Dok-reo questions her allegiance. Later on, Yi San buys books for her and asks her if she was captivated by him during their encounters in the library.
King Yeongjo’s words to Yi San’s lecturers cause grave concern among his enemies — Princess Hwawan fears that King Yeongjo will appoint Yi San as regent, while Head Court Lady Jo warns Second State Councilor Hong Jung-yeo that King Yeongjo might abdicate the throne.
As part of the coming-of-age ceremony, the new court ladies prepare and serve ceremonial tables for Yi-san. While Deok-im is waiting for her turn, Hong Hye-bin arrives.
In the presence of Queen Jungsoon, Princess Hwawan reports to King Yeongjo that, together with the husbands of Princess Cheongyeon and Princess Cheongseon, Yi San has been frequenting houses of ill refute. King Yeongjo thus orders that Yi San be confined to his quarters.
Episode 6
| Ep. 5 recap:
Deok-im becomes confused when Yi San wonders aloud if he has become captivated by her. Later, Yi San sees Deok-im, who’s dressed in her costume for the coming-of-age ceremony. He embarrasses himself before everyone by thinking that Deok-im has been graced by King Yeongjo. Hong Hye-bin manipulates Yi San into saying that he will not be involved with a court lady; from behind the screen, Deok-im hears everything. Despite King Yeongjo’s order to take all of Yi San’s books away, Deok-im brings the Book of Odes with her to Yi San’s quarters and reads selections from it. After reading Royal Secretary Jung Baek’s detailed evidence of Yi San leaving the palace with his royal guards, King Yeongjo goes to Yi-san’s quarters and slaps him repeatedly. |
Deok-im tells Hong Deok-ro that Dongdukhoe should consider approaching Queen Jungsoon for help in lifting Yi San’s confinement. Later, she gets Yi San’s permission to approach Queen Jungsoon. But she fails to answer correctly the riddles that Queen Jungsoon uses to test her.
During the preparations for the Silk Cocoon Ceremony, Deok-im and her friends secretly watch as Head Court Lady Jo comforts Princess Hwawan, who’s complaining about Hong Hye-bin’s place in the ceremony; she reassures Princess Hwahan that Hong Hye-bin and Queen Jungsoon are mere noblewomen who were lucky to marry into the royal family.
After the ceremony, Queen Jungsoon shocks everyone by forcing Princess Hwahan to kneel down and then slapping her.
Episode 7
| Ep. 6 recap:
Through Deok-im’s tip, Queen Jungsoon embarrasses Princess Hwahan before the court ladies and the noblewomen for wearing a dress that’s made of silk from Qing. Because of Queen Jungsoon’s plea, King Yeongjo lifts Yi San’s confinement. Deok-im meets and helps Hong Deok-ro’s sister to get into the palace. Later, Hong Deok-ro warns Deok-im not to be friendly with his sister. He comes close to Deok-im and says that he fears she could replace him as Yi San’s closest confidant. From afar, Yi San sees them. The other court ladies force Deok-im to attend to Yi San as he soaks in his luxurious bath tub. But in her nervousness, Deok-im falls into the tub. |
Queen Jungsoon sends Deok-im back to Crown Prince Yi San’s East Palace but cautions her that he can’t protect her the way that she can. There, Court Lady Seo takes Deok-im to her new assignment — tending Yi San’s garden.
During a meeting of the royal court, the ministers notice that King Yeongjo has become noticeably forgetful. Later, Hong Deok-ro urges Yi San to recruit the Royal Physician into their group.
During their night off, Deok-im and Wol-hye stroll through the market. When Wol-hye notices that a man has been trailing them and staring at Deok-im, she tells Deok-im to go back to the palace. She walks off on her own, but on a deserted street, four men block her way.
Head Court Lady Jo tells Deok-im that she wants her to be Yi San’s royal concubine.
Episode 8
| Ep. 7 recap:
Deok-im reunites with her long-lost brother. Head Court Lady Jo’s niece, Wol-hye, poisoned the royal guard who tried to assassinate Yi San during the tiger hunt. She kills the guard’s brother and the men who blocked her way. Head Court Lady Jo confirms that King Yeongjo is starting to suffer from dementia. Later, she orders the confiscation and burning of books in the palace. Deok-im rejects Yi San’s expression of affection for her. Later, after seeing Deok-im receiving some apparel as a gift from a man (whom he doesn’t know is her brother), Yi San becomes jealous and confronts her at the library. |
On their way to see Yi San, Court Lady Park and Deok-im are blocked by Head Court Lady Jo and her assistant. The assistant takes the bundle that Court Lady Park wants to give Yi San, and Head Court Lady Jo dismisses Deok-im.
Despite Yi San’s explicit order, Hong Deok-ro brings the Royal Physician to the next meeting of Dongdukhoe.
Under orders from Head Court Lady Jo, the lady inspectors search the quarters of Deok-im and the new court ladles. After finding the book “Moral Education for Women” written by the late Royal Noble Consort Yeong, they report to Queen Jungsoon that Deok-im stole the book.
With no witness to prove that King Yeongjo actually gave the book to Deok-im when she was a young court maid, Yi San pleads with Queen Jungsoon not to execute Deok-im but to exile her.
Late at night, King Yeongjo summons several people for a secret meeting; meanwhile, Court Lady Seo is snatched from her quarters.
Episode 9
| Ep. 8 recap:
Because of Deok-im’s storytelling skills, King Yeongjo remembers the night he met Deok-im and why he gave the book to her. Gwanghang Palace is the group of court ladies headed by Head Court Lady Jo and dedicated to protecting the court ladies from the whims and abuses of the Joseon kings. She forces Court Lady Seo to join the group in order to pressure Deok-im into agreeing to become Yi San’s concubine. Court Lady Park accuses Head Court Lady Jo of having conspired against Crown Prince Sado because of her jealousy towards Royal Noble Consort Yeong. When the court ministers protest King Yeongjo’s order appointing him as regent, Yi San orders his allies to have Second State Councilor Hong Jung-yeo removed from his position and the other ministers punished. Deok-im and Yi San finally realize that they met each other as young children when they visited Royal Noble Consort Yeong. |
When Yi San takes King Yeongjo’s place in the procession to the ancestral graves, Head Court Lady Jo sees it as an opportunity to kill him.
At the Royal Temporary Palace, Yi San receives a petition from some village folks about the 100 or more young girls who have disappeared for the last 20 years. But Hong Dok-reo cautions him to set aside the petition, saying that, as regent, he does not yet have military or judiciary powers.
On their way to the royal administrative office that’s four hours away, Court Lady Seo tells Deok-im about Gwanghang Palace.
Wol-hye and another court lady sabotage the bows and steal the rifles and gunpowder of Yi San’s royal guards. Later that night, Wol-hye and other assassins attack Yi San and his men.
Episode 10
| Ep. 9 recap:
Through a signal kite, Deok-im warns Yi San about the impending danger. Just when Yi San and his men are about to be overwhelmed, Hong Deok-ro arrives with the soldiers from the military camp. |
Head Court Lady Jo connives with the former Second State Councilor Hong Jung-yeo to mislead King Yeongjo that the assassination attempt against Yi San was merely a ploy for Yi San to take control of the Capital Defense Command. King Yeongjo thus appoints a “temporary envoy” and gives him 10 days to investigate what really happened.
Head Court Lady Jo visits King Yeongjo in his quarters. After King Yeongjo orders Royal Secretary Jung to record his bequest to her, she candidly asks him why he chose Royal Noble Consort Yeong instead of her. Later, she tells Royal Secretary Jung that Princess Hwahan will be kicked out of the palace once Yi San becomes king.
After overhearing Wol-hye threaten Court Lady Seo, Deok-im tells her friends that Gwanghang Palace is real. That night, she takes Court Lady Seo with her to sneak into Head Court Lady Jo’s quarters and to search for the list of Gwanghang Palace members.
Episode 11
| Ep. 10 recap:
Deok-im and Court Lady Seo stumble upon the secret passageway that leads to the Gwanghang Palace headquarters. There, they find Court Lady Park. Head Court Lady Jo seeks to turn King Yeongjo against Yi San by preparing raw persimmons and marinated crabs during the banquet. According to the rumors, these were the food that King Yeongjo used to poison his brother King Gyeongjong. |
King Yeongjo storms out of the banquet after Yi San stops him from striking his mother Hong Hye-bin. Later, he tells Yi San that he will forgive him if he puts all the blame on his mother. When Yi San refuses, he orders him to be confined in the East Palace.
At their hideaway, Deok-im and Court Lady Seo find out from Court Lady Park that, in exchange for Crown Prince Sado’s life, King Yeongjo wrote and sealed a document where he promised to enthrone Yi San as king.
Deok-im rushes to see Hong Hye-bin and tells her about the “Document of Truth.” But despite having all the clues, Hong Hye-bin says that she doesn’t know what the clues mean and thus where the “Document of Truth” has been hidden.
At the East Palace, Hong Deok-ro leads the other members of Dongdukhoe in urging Yi San to force King Yeongjo to abdicate.
In the morning, after finding out about the emergency meeting of the royal court that King Yeongjo has convened, Head Court Lady Jo gives to the Central Council Supervisor the complete list of Dongdukhoe members.
Episode 12
| Ep. 11 recap:
Through the clues, Deok-im learns where King Yeongjo hid the “Document of Truth.” Deok-im convinces Queen Jungsoon to help Yi San by going to the emergency meeting of the royal court and to ask forgiveness on Yi San’s behalf; she also tells her about the “Document of Truth.” |
King Yeongjo finds the “Document of Truth” hidden in the “Irworobongdo” (the sun/moon/five peaks screen behind the throne).
Head Court Lady Jo transfers the leadership of Gwanghang Palace to Wol-hye. Later on, she’s arrested after King Yeongjo receives the investigative report of the temporary envoy.
Royal Secretary Jung prostrates himself before Yi San and asks him to spare his mother Princess Hwahan.
Episode 13
| Ep. 12 recap:
With the royal court witnessing everything, King Yeongjo pressures Princess Hwahan to give the royal seal to Yi San. King Yeongjo tells Head Court Lady Jo that she can leave the palace, but using a “eunjangdo” (small silver knife), she takes her own life. King Yeongjo dies. |
Wol-hye is arrested for trying to assassinate King Jeongjo (Yi San).
Royal Secretary Hong Deok-ro urges King Jeongjo (Yi San) to execute his half-brother Prince Eunjeon. The former Central Council Supervisor Hong Jung-yeo is executed by poison, while former Royal Secretary Jung dies in exile.
Dowager Queen Jungsoon insists that a new Royal Concubine be appointed. When King Jeongjo protests, she reminds him that she’s the head of the Inner Court and that he didn’t consult her when he sent his brother into exile.
Episode 14
| Ep. 13 recap:
Bok-yeon returns to the palace. Together with Royal Secretary Hong Deok-ro and Lady Hyegyeong, Dowager Queen Jungsoon decides to appoint the sister of Royal Secretary Hong Deok-ro as the Royal Concubine. |
When his sister dies unexpectedly, Royal Secretary Hong Deok-ro thinks that she was poisoned on Queen Kim’s order.
Court ladies start to disappear, including Deok-im’s friend, Kyung-hee. King Jeongjo thus orders Royal Secretary Hong Deok-ro (who’s also head of the royal guards) to investigate what happened to the missing court ladies. He also orders Court Lady Seo to secretly monitor Deok-im wherever she goes and whoever she meets.
As Deok-im and her friends continue to search for Kyung-hee, they come upon a palace slave who tried to hang herself. The slave confesses to them that Royal Secretary Hong Deok-ro ordered her to plant a packet of poison in Queen Kim’s quarters.
Episode 15
| Ep. 14 recap:
At the former secret meeting place of Gwanghang Palace, King Jeongjo and his royal guards rescue Deok-im and the missing court ladies from Royal Secretary Hong Deok-ro. Because of the pleas by the former Dongdukhoe members, King Jeongjo does not execute Royal Secretary Hong Deok-ro but removes him from office. King Jeongjo becomes angry at Deok-im for trying to ask Dowager Queen Jungsoon for help about the missing court ladies by sending a letter to her about the involvement of Royal Secretary Hong Deok-ro. When Deok-im says that she never loved him, King Jeongjo embraces and kisses her. |
Deok-im leaves the palace after King Jeongjo dismisses her as a court lady. Later, in her quarters, King Jeongjo finds the pages that she tore from the book that got him into trouble with King Yeongjo when he was still a young Crown Prince.
At the market, Deok-im meets Hong Deok-ro, who tells her that a new Royal Concubine will soon be appointed. Later on, she meets King Jeongjo in Princess Cheongyeon’s residence.
To Deok-im’s surprise, she is recalled to the palace. She visits Hong Deok-ro, who tells her not to go back to the palace but to run away with him to faraway places like Mount Geumgang and Namra. When she refuses, he says that when she hears that he’s dead, it’s because of her.
Episode 16
| Ep. 15 recap:
Lady Hyegyeong recalls Deok-im to the palace. But the new Royal Noble Consort becomes jealous of Deok-im and whips her. In his last letter, Hong Deok-ro confesses to King Jeongjo that it wasn’t him who tore off the pages from the forbidden book. |
King Jeongjo refuses Dowager Queen Jungsoon’s plea for her sick brother to be released from his exile and to be brought back to the capital.
Before King Jeongjo and Dowager Queen Jungsoon, Royal Noble Consort Hwa-bin accuses Deuk-im of having relations with a newly appointed royal guard.
To protect Deuk-im, King Jeongjo orders Court Lady Seo to prepare Deuk-im and bring her to his bedchambers. The next day, however, Queen Dowager Jungsoon warns him that he has made Deuk-im a target for his enemies.
Episode 17, Finale (with spoilers)
| Ep. 16 recap:
Lady Hyegyeong reveals to King Jeongjo, Queen Dowager Jungsoon, and Royal Noble Consort Hwa-bin that the newly appointed royal guard is Deuk-im’s brother. When Royal Noble Consort Hwa-bin insists that Deok-im’s brother is a traitor because Crown Prince Sado was a traitor, King Jeongjo becomes angry and exclaims, “I am the son of Crown Prince Sado!” Deuk-im becomes pregnant. |
Deok-im and King Jeongjo’s son, the young Crown Prince, dies because of a measles outbreak.
Deok-im’s friend Young-hee is sentenced to death for having sexual relations with a man.
While in the late stage of her pregnancy, Deuk-im dies.
Years later ... weeks before Deuk-im’s death anniversary, King Jeongjo looks over her keepsakes that have been kept in the East Palace.
Historical / cultural backgrounders and other information
Backgrounders for those who have not yet seen “The Red Sleeve” (2021) and “Yi San” (2007), with parallels and differences between the two dramas
A. “The Red Sleeve” (2021; 17 episodes) and “Yi San” aka “Lee San, Wind of the Palace” (2007; 77 episodes) are MBC dramas based on the lives and love story of historical figures Yi San aka King Jeongjo (1752-1800) and Royal Noble Consort Uibin Seong (1753-1786).
Yi San (King Jeongjo) has been depicted in numerous K-dramas and movies as you can read in “King Jeongjo an idol of Korean modern media” from Korea JoongAng Daily. For fans of “Crash Landing On You,” Hyun Bin portrayed King Jeongjo in the action-packed 2014 movie “The Fatal Encounter.”
For more detailed information about Royal Noble Consort Uibin Seong, please read “The Red Sleeve – History, Her Story, and Their Love Story” (The Talking Cupboard). This article is based on a Korean-language article from Naver.
A-1. “Yi San” aka “Lee San, Wind of the Palace” (77 episodes) was directed by Lee Byung-hoon, who’s known as the “King of sageuks” for having directed blockbuster dramas such as “Hur Jun,” “A Jewel in the Palace,” “Dong Yi,” “The King’s Doctor,” and “The Flower in Prison.” The cast was led by Lee Seo-jin in the title role and Han Ji-min as “Sung Song-yeon” (fictional character based on Royal Noble Consort Uibin Seong).
From Wikipedia:“Yi San” was popular and recorded a solid viewership rate (average) of 26.4% (Nationwide) and 28.6% (Seoul) and a peak of 35.3% (Nationwide) and 38.6% (Seoul).
In the 2008 Baeksang Arts Awards, Lee Byung-hoon won the “Best Director (TV)” award while Lee Seo-jin was nominated for “Best Actor (TV).” In the 2007 MBC Drama Awards, Kim Yi-young won the “Best Writer” award; Lee Seo-jin won the “Top Excellence Award, Actor,” and Han Ji-min won the “Top Excellence Award, Actress.”
Note: Kim Yi-young wrote three dramas with King Yeongjo as a major character — “Yi San” (2007), “Dong Yi” (2010), and “Haechi” (2019).
A-2. “The Red Sleeve” (17 episodes) aired from November 12, 2021 to January 1, 2022; leading the cast are Lee Jun-ho (as “Yi San” later “King Jeongjo”) and Lee Se-young (as “Deok-im” later “Royal Noble Consort Uibin Seong”). The drama is based on the novel “The Red Sleeve Cuff” by Kang Mi-kang. Genre: romance, historical drama.
The drama’s average audience share according to Nielsen Korea was 11.0% (Nationwide) and 10.7% (Seoul). Nationwide, nine of its episodes were ranked 2nd in its time slot.
In the 2021 MBC Drama Awards, “The Red Sleeve” and its cast won the following awards: Drama of the Year; Best Writer Award; Best New Actor, Kang Hoon; Best Supporting Actress, Jang Hye-jin; Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries, Lee Jun-ho; and Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries, Lee Se-young.
Related discussion: “Fans are angry at ’The Red Sleeve’ as it ruined the original novel its original romance genre”
Note: The actor who played “King Yeongjo” in “Yi San” is Lee Soon-jae. In Ep. 17 of “The Red Sleeve,” he makes a brief cameo appearance at around the 1:04:18 mark as an old man who speaks to Yi San/King Jeongjo on a mountain that’s part of the Jukjusanseong Fortress.
B. Historical figures in “The Red Sleeve” and “Yi San”
Yi San (aka King Jeongjo, 1752-1800): He was Joseon’s 22nd king, ruling from 1776 to 1800. He succeeded his grandfather King Yeongjo; in turn, he was succeeded by his son King Sunjo. His father, Crown Prince Sado, died after being locked inside a rice chest for several days on King Yeongjo’s order.
Among King Jeongjo’s major accomplishments are establishing the Kyujanggjak library and constructing the Hwaseong Fortress, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
From “Reformative King Jeongjo Was Not Fatally Poisoned” (The Korea Times, 2009): “Was King Jeongjo Machiavellian? A bundle of 299 letters written by the 22nd ruler of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) showed that he was not fatally poisoned, as widely believed, and that the king was a reformative leader who knew the art of behind-the-scenes politics.”
Relevant resources:
“Rediscovering Joseon’s royal library” (The Korea Herald)
“King Jeongjo’s visit to royal tomb perfectly reenacted in 222 years”(Arirang News, 2017)
“EP 10. To King Jeongjo’s Tomb at Hwaseong Fortress / Cultural Heritage” (EBSCulture)
“Suwon Hwaseong Fortress....grand beauty that stood the test of time” (Arirang)
Royal Noble Consort Uibin Seong (1753-1786): Known as the beloved concubine of King Jeongjo, she was the mother of Crown Prince Munhyo, who died at age three. During her third pregnancy, she died of liver cancer. (Wikipedia)
She is fictionalized in “Yi San” as Sung Song-yeon, a “damo” in the Dohwaseo (Bureau of Paintings). In “The Red Sleeve,” she is fictionalized as Deok-im, a court maid, who’s proficient in storytelling and calligraphy. “The Red Sleeve” follows the basic historical facts about Royal Noble Consort Uibin Seong more closely than "Yi San."
King Yeongjo (1694-1776): The longest reigning monarch in Joseon history, he ruled for 52 years from 1724 to 1776. In history, he’s probably best known for having killed his son Crown Prince Sado. Among K-drama fans, he’s known as the young son of King Sukjong and Dong Yi in “Dong Yi” (2010), the adult Prince Yeoning in “Haechi” (2019), and the old King Yeongjo in “Yi San.” (As I stated earlier, these three dramas were written by Kim Yi-young.)
Relevant discussion: “Fearsome Facts About King Yeongjo, Father Of The Mad Prince”
Queen Jungsoon (1745-1805): The wife and second queen consort of King Yeongjo, she was only 15 when she got married. She was also 10 years younger than her husband’s son and heir, Crown Prince Sado, and his daughter-in-law, Lady Hyegyeong. (Wikipedia) As the most senior-generation member of the royal family, she served as regent for King Sunjo (Yi San’s successor).
Princess Hwahan (1738-1808): The beloved daughter of King Yeongjo, she was demoted to commoner status after Yi San became king. Her adopted son, Jeong Hu-gyeom, was exiled.
From “The annals of the Joseon princesses” (The Gachon Herald):
Princess Hwawan: daughter of King Youngjo (1737~1808)
Unlike other princesses, Princess Hwawan was greedy for political power—-she was exiled when her adopted son Hukyum was executed for being a rebel. She returned to her nephew King Jungjo after 23 years, but she was against her nephew’s political order and partnered up with Younjo’s wife, Queen Mother Jungsoon to bring down the King. The drama ‘Isan’ depicts Queen Mother Jungsoon as a villain, but truth be told, Princess Hwawan was the worst. Despite his aunt’s actions against him, Jungjo forgave her numerous times and didn’t listen to his legislator’s advice. She will always be remembered as the princess who opposed her family.
Lady Hyegyeong (Hong Hye-bin; 1735-1816): The wife of Crown Prince Sado and the mother of Yi San, she wrote “The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyeong.” From Wikipedia: “Perhaps most famously, the memoirs discuss Crown Prince Sado’s descent into violent madness until his execution was ordered by his father, King Yeongjo. Although Lady Hyegyong’s descriptions of her husband’s madness and execution are the most famous parts of her collection, each of Lady Hyegyong’s four memoirs center around a different aspect of her life and have a different political purpose.”
Hong Gook-young (Hong Dok-reo in “The Red Sleeve”): “A noted Korean scholar and politician of Joseon dynasty who first strongly supported King Jeongjo’s accession and toiled to improve the king’s power, he ended up being expelled because of his desire for power.” (Wikipedia, citing Korea Focus, June 2012)
Queen Hyo-eui (Queen Hyoui; 1754-1821): From the Cheongpung Kim clan, she got married when she was 9 years old and Yi San was 10. From Wikipedia: “Queen Hyoui did not bear King Jeongjo any children, but she adopted the sons of two of her husband’s concubines, Royal Noble Consort Ui and Royal Noble Consort Su, as her own. The son of Royal Noble Consort Ui died young, but the son of Royal Noble Consort Su would eventually succeed King Jeongjo on the throne as King Sunjo.”
C. Parallels and differences between “Yi San” and “The Red Sleeve”
1. “The Red Sleeve” focuses mainly on the love story between Yi San and Royal Noble Consort Uibin Seong.
“Yi San” also focuses mainly on the love story between Yi San and Royal Noble Consort Uibin Seong, but because it has 77 episodes, it also focuses on:
- the lifelong friendship between Yi San, Dae-su, and Sung Song-yeon;
- Yi San’s struggles as a Crown Prince with political intrigues and several assassination attempts against him orchestrated by the Noron faction, Princess Hwawan, and Queen Jungsoon;
- Yi San’s reign as Crown Prince, as regent, and as King; his political achievements such as establishing the Kyujanggjak library and the construction of Hwaseong Fortress;
- Yi San’s relationships with politicians such as Hong Gook-young and Confucian scholars such as Jeong Yag-jong (1760–1801);
- The persecution of Catholics during King Jeongjo’s reign.
2. Crown Princess (later Queen) Hyo-eui, Yi San’s wife, is a major character in “Yi San.” She supports and encourages Song-yeon into becoming Yi San’s concubine, despite the opposition of Yi San’s mother, Lady Hyegyeong.
In “The Red Sleeve,” Queen Hyo-eui is not depicted at all, being mentioned only twice or thrice as “Queen Kim” or simply “the Queen.”
3. In “The Red Sleeve,” Queen Jungsoon is depicted as being supportive of Yi San whenever it’s beneficial to her; she’s primarily in conflict with Princess Hwawan.
In “Yi San,” Queen Jungsoon is depicted as leading the Noron faction and Princess Hwawan in trying to kill Yi San or to depose him as Crown Prince.
In “The Red Sleeve,” conflict arises between Yi San and Queen Jungsoon over her brother Kim Gui-joo; he doesn’t appear in the drama but is mentioned in passing.
In “Yi San,” Kim Gui-joo appears in several episodes, starting in Ep. 23, where he’s shown as the mastermind of an assassination attempt against Yi San. (Hong Gook-young discovers the attempt and, with Dae-su’s help, saves Yi San.)
4. In the “The Red Sleeve,” Hong Deok-ro (aka Hong Gook-young) is depicted as having been assigned during his childhood by King Yeongjo to be Yi San’s tutor. In “Yi San,” Hong Gook-young first appears in Ep. 10 as a tutor with the Office of the Crown Prince, with a side business of teaching people how to pass the civil service and military exams. In Ep. 14, he meets and talks with Yi San for the first time.
5. In Ep. 14 of “The Red Sleeve,” Yi San does not go to Sookchang Palace to consummate relations with Hong Deok-ro’s young sister, who has become a Royal Noble Consort. After creating trouble in the royal observatory, he goes back to his quarters where he finds Deuk-im.
In Ep. 52 of “Yi San,” Yi San does not go to the bedchambers of Royal Concubine Hong (sister of Hong Gook-young) on their wedding night. Instead, he visits Song-yeon in the Bureau of Paintings office in the palace.
6. In “Yi San,” Hong Gook-young’s sister fakes her pregnancy and later dies. Hong Gook-young then blames Queen Hyo-eui for her death and attempts to assassinate her by poison, leading to his dismissal and exile.
In “The Red Sleeve,” Hong Deok-ro thinks his sister was poisoned by the court ladies upon orders of “Queen Kim” and thus begins to kidnap the court ladies and pressure them to testify against “Queen Kim.”
7. In “The Red Sleeve,” Deuk-im saves Yi San by decoding the symbols provided by Court Lady Park, the double rings of Lady Hyegyeong, and the tattoo on her back; she finds out that the “Document of Truth” is hidden in the “Irworobongdo” screen behind the King’s throne.
In “Yi San,” Song-yeon saves Yi-san by finding the letter written by Crown Prince Sado hidden in the painting.
8. Both “The Red Sleeve” and “Yi San” depict in several episodes King Yeongjo as he suffers from dementia.
“Did King Yeongjo (1694–1776) of Joseon Dynasty Korea suffer dementia during the last decade of his reign?” from Journal of the History of the Neurosciences, Basic and Clinical Perspectives, Volume 30, 2021 - Issue 4:
“King Yeongjo, the 21st king of Joseon (18th Century Korea), reigned during the prime years of the dynasty and was its oldest king. Despite his many accomplishments, debate surrounds his reputed display of the symptoms of dementia during the last years of his life. The King showed signs of dementia after 40 years of his regency in 1762 at the age of 69 years, including disorientation, cognitive impairment, amnestic disorder and so on.”
9. In Ep. 17 of “The Red Sleeve,” Yi San (King Jeongjo) tells his royal bodyguard that he’s dissatisfied with the way the royal guards shoot the arrow.
In “Yi San” Ep. 10, King Yeongjo scolds Yi San for the poor performance of his royal guards and challenges him to show leadership. Almost half of the episode shows Yi San pressuring his guards to learn how to use the bow and arrow, assigning more arrows to be shot each training session. His guards resent the hard training so much that one of them burns their quarters.
Miscellaneous backgrounders:
1. In Ep. 7, Court Lady Seo is stunned when she sees through a peep hole that Deok-im is changing her clothes in the room where Yi San is taking a bath. (We know that she’s thinking that Deok-im and Yi San had sex.) After Deok-im leaves the room, she holds her by the shoulders, looks at her, and then looks down. After turning her eyes again at Deok-im, she asks if everything’s all right.
Why did Court Lady Seo look downwards before questioning Deok-im? Well, she could just simply be checking if Deok-im is really all right. IMO, however, Court Lady Seo looks downwards to see if Deok-im has “flipped” her skirt, a sign that she had “received Yi San’s grace” (in simple terms, they had sex).
In Ep. 7, 38:58 mark of “Jang Ok Jung, Live in Love” (a 2013 historical drama starring Kim Tae-hee and Yoo Ah-in), Jang Ok Jung overhears two court maids gossiping about a court maid who ’received the king’s grace" the night before; they say that a court maid “flips” her skirt as a sign that she “received the king’s grace.”
2. “I am the son of Crown Prince Sado!”
In Ep. 45 of “Yi San,” Yi San is now King Jeongjo; he strikes fear among the court ministers who plotted against him when, upon sitting on the throne for the first time, he exclaims, “I am the son of Crown Prince Sado!” (These words are supposedly recorded in the “Annals of the Joseon Dynasty.”)
I was disappointed when “The Red Sleeve” didn’t have this iconic scene when Yi San became king in Ep. 13. I was thus pleasantly surprised by Ep. 16 when Yi San exclaimed these words after Royal Noble Consort Hwa-bin insisted to Queen Dowager Jungsoon that since Crown Prince Sado was a traitor, Deok-im’s father was, by association, also a traitor.
Relevant resource about Crown Prince Sado: [FICTION VS. HISTORY] Crown Prince Sado’s difficult history: While ‘The Throne’ is accurate, it misses complexities of a complicated relationship (Korean JoongAng Daily)
3. In Ep. 3 when Deok-im wants to know if King Yeongjo’s mood is good or bad, Bok-yeon tells her that he’s in a bad mood because he washed his ears. The 2015 movie “The Throne” starring Song Kang-ho and Yoo Ah-in explains at the 22:42 mark what it means for the king to wash his ears; if he has heard ominous words, he rinses out his mouth and washes his ears before going to bed in order to dispel the bad luck.
4. Several scenes show King Yeongjo and King Jeongjo (Yi San) wearing eyeglasses; in several scenes, Head Court Lady Jo also wears eyeglasses.
This is historically inaccurate because Robert Neff, a well respected scholar on Korean history says in his article “Ensuring to be seen” that King Jeongjo (Yi San) was the first Joseon king to wear eyeglasses: “King Jeongjo (r. 1776-1800), who may have been the first Joseon monarch to wear glasses, was faced with the dilemma of choosing whether to wear his glasses in front of his council or forego them and basically be unable to read the documents before him. He apparently chose to wear them.”
Neff also says: “When the American newspaperman, Frank Carpenter, had an audience with the king in December 1888, he was gently reminded that if he did not want to appear impertinent before the monarch then he should remove his spectacles as they were seen as an emblem of rank.”
5. In several scenes such as in Ep 2, Yi San uses a yellow fan so that Deok-im won’t recognize him.
If you have seen “Saimdang,” you will remember that in Ep. 11 while fighting off Hwieumdang’s men, Yi-gyeom stops the men from continuing to attack him by opening his fan. The men recognize that he is a member of the royal family because of his fan.
From “Traditional fans do more than just help cool off during summer” (Korea.net): “The number of spokes showed the difference in class of Joseon society at the time. The highest number of 50 was reserved for fans of the royal family. Aristocrats had those with a maximum of 40 and the commoners less than that.”
6. In Ep. 3, Yi San gets into trouble with King Yeongjo when he and his men hunt down the tiger which has been killing people and which has gone into the palace where the court maids were having their festival. This episode may have been inspired by an 1893 incident. From “The tiger hunters” (The Korea Times, 2019) by Robert Neff:
“Some of Korea’s most dangerous and ferocious tigers were those that dwelt on the slopes of Inwangsan, just outside the Seoul city walls. These tigers often preyed on woodcutters and firewood merchants traveling to and from Goyang city ― especially at Muakjae Pass. In 1893, at least one tiger was reported to be prowling about Gyeongbok Palace ― probably hunting the tame little deer kept there. There are even claims (probably exaggerated) of tigers stalking Seoul’s gloomy, unlit streets ― the silence shattered by the screams of their unwary victims fighting a losing battle for their lives.”
7. In Ep. 2, Deok-im begins working at the Crown Prince’s library. There, she sees a painting on the wall of a yellow cat playing with a butterfly. That painting is based on the famous painting “Yellow cat romps with a butterfly” by Kim Hong-do (1745-1806), a famous painter during the Joseon Dynasty. His most famous painting is “The Nineteen Taoist Immortals.”
From “Finding the meaning in whimsical traditional art” (Korea JoongAng Daily): “In ancient Korea, cats represented the age of 70 while butterflies stood for the age of 80.”
8. Ep. 8 of “The Red Sleeve” introduces “Gwanghang Palace,” a secret organization of court ladies led by Head Court Lady Jo.
From Fans are angry at “The Red Sleeve” as it ruined the original novel its original romance genre:
... as the series is reaching its second half, when the romance between the two main characters, Lee San who finally realizes his love for Seong Deok-im and decided to pursue her and Seong Deok-im who tries to push him away even though she knows his feelings, is supposed to be built up, “The Red Sleeve” poured cold water on the audience by bringing out the court ladies’ secret organization “Gwanghang Palace.”
This detail was not even in the original novel ...
The writer of “The Red Sleeve” may have based “Gwanghang Palace” on the 2007 movie “Shadows in the Palace” directed by Kim Mee-jung. The mystery thriller is a fictionalized account of “gungnyeo” (court maids) during South Korea’s Joseon era. The movie (with Yoon Se-ah of “SKY Castle” in the cast) won awards and garnered numerous nominations from Blue Dragon Film Awards, Korean Film Awards, Grand Bell Awards, Baeksang Arts Awards, etc.
9. “Did King Yeongjo (1694–1776) of Joseon Dynasty Korea suffer dementia during the last decade of his reign?” (Journal of the History of the Neurosciences, Basic and Clinical Perspectives, Volume 30, 2021 - Issue 4)
King Yeongjo, the 21st king of Joseon (18th Century Korea), reigned during the prime years of the dynasty and was its oldest king. Despite his many accomplishments, debate surrounds his reputed display of the symptoms of dementia during the last years of his life. The King showed signs of dementia after 40 years of his regency in 1762 at the age of 69 years, including disorientation, cognitive impairment, amnestic disorder and so on. We examined evidence from the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty and related research papers.
Additionally, dementia specialists were asked to undertake a survey to provide objectivity to the literary findings. Prior to his death in 1776, 25 meaningful dementia symptoms were recorded in the Annals across a 10-year period. However, despite indications of dementia, the Joseon dynasty supported him as a king and helped him retain his dignity until the end. This suggests that historical perception changes regarding dementia may also inform current-day attitudes to improve the living standards of patients suffering from dementia and related neuropsychiatric disorders.
10. In Ep. 11 of “The Red Sleeve,” King Yeongjo becomes outraged when somebody serves him persimmons and marinated crabs, foods which he supposedly used to poison his brother King Gyeongjong. In his anger, he tries to strike Hong Hye-bin (Lady Hyegyeong) with a hot poker.
From Wikipedia: In 1728, the “Musin Rebellion” was launched against King Yeongjo, with his enemies using as their justification the alleged death by poisoning of King Gyeongjong. The unsuccessful seventeen-day revolt took place in the third month of 1728. At that time, anonymous posters appeared in Jeonju and Namwon claiming that King Gyeongjong’s death in early October 1724 was due to poisoning by the man who had become King Yeongjo. Two men, Sim Yu-hyeon and Bak Mi-gwi, stole gunpowder from a magazine with the intent of blowing up the Hong-hua and Don-hua gates. The original fomentation of the revolt was concentrated in Jeolla province. “During three weeks of fighting the government lost control of thirteen county seats, and the rebels drew great support from people in Kyŏnggi, North Ch’ungch’ŏng, South Ch’ungch’ŏng and South Kyŏngsang Provinces.”
11. In Ep. 16, Hong Dok-reo tries to convince Deok-im to run away with him and visit places such as Namra (Jeju Island) and Mount Geumgang.
From Wikipedia article citing “100 Cultural Symbols of Korea” by Yoo Myeonng-jong, 2008): “Koreans have perceived Geumgansan as their muse since well before the Middle Ages. Practically every poet and artist who lived during the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910) made a pilgrimage to Mt. Geumgangsan.”
Wikipedia further describes Mount Geumgang: “Mount Geumgang is a 5,374 feet-high mountain located in Kangwondo, North Korea and is about 31 miles from the South Korean city of Sokcho in Gangwon-do.”
From “Diamond Mountains of North Korea” by Roger Shepherd, One Korea Photography: “Kumgang-san has long been a place that stirred the imaginations of many famous Korean artists, writers, and wanderers. During the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), Kumgang-san was seen as the ideal Buddhist world, which influenced Indian monk Ji Jong Sunim to cultivate his mind there. In the Joseon Dynasty, Kumgang-san received acclaim by numerous Kings, writers, artists, and scholars. One of those writers was Kim Yang Su (1820-1882) who wrote travelogues on Kumgang-san. He strongly believed that Kumgang-san was more beautiful than any mountain in China.”
12. Wrong costume for Queen Jungsoon in the silk cocoon ceremony in Ep. 6?
In Ep. 6, Queen Jungsoon leads the Silk Cocoon ceremony; notice that she’s wearing a red gown. But “Joseon’s Court Attire: Kdrama Style (Part 2)” from The Talking Cupboard states:
Guk-ui was an attire worn by the queen during a ceremony known as Chimjamrye or Sericulture Ceremony.
The queen, donning a long yellow robe, would encourage the women of the nation to get involved in the silk production as a mean to promote the economy of the nation.
Lessons in photography from “The Red Sleeve” with analysis of its cinematography
Unlike some recent dramas that I watched for which I then posted in-depth analyses of their visuals, cinematography, and editing, I will just be posting this brief analysis of the visuals, cinematography, and editing of “The Red Sleeve.” Why? Because in a lot of instances, “The Red Sleeve” uses (a) short siding and (b) overly dramatic Dutch angle shots, which are things I’ve ranted against in my previous analyses.
Things I liked about the visuals, cinematography, and editing of “The Red Sleeve”
1. The sequence of shots that I like the most in this drama is in Ep. 9. Court Lady Seo tells Deok-im to lie down on Yi San’s bed so that it will be warm when Yi San arrives later on; she warns Deok-im, however, not to fall asleep on the bed.
But Deok-im does fall asleep on the bed, and Yi San finds her there. When she wakes up later on, she’s shot from a high angle, with the camera slowly pulling out and doing an almost unnoticeable camera roll. At the end of the shot, she begins to sit up as she realizes what she has done. In the next shot (medium, low angle), she suddenly sits up; the camera crash zooms on her, and then she quickly stifles her screams with her hand on her mouth. This is great directing, acting, cinematography, and editing.
Relevant resource: “Tarantino and the Crash Zoom” (YouTube video)
(Note: Court Lady Seo told Deok-im that the Temporary Palace’s heating system was broken. She’s referring to the furnace in the basement, which is called “ondol” or the traditional way of heating houses during the Joseon Dynasty. This system is still used in modern-day Korea. For more information about this heating system that’s uniquely Korean, surf to “Ondol (Korean Home Heating System) an ancient heating system lasting millennia”).
2. There are some gorgeous looking shots in this drama, but as I have pointed out before, the choice of locations and the color schemes are not the work of the cinematographer. One concept we have to understand is “mise-en-scène.” From Wikipedia: “Mise-en-scène is the stage design and arrangement of actors in scenes for a theatre or film production, both in visual arts through storyboarding, visual theme, and cinematography, and in narrative storytelling through direction.”
From “What is Mise en Scene — How Directors Like Kubrick Master the Elements of Visual Storytelling”:
In French, mise-en-scène literally means “placing on stage,” or the process of how theater directors would decide what should go on the stage and how those elements should be arranged. This same concept was easily borrowed by film directors — everything you see on-screen is part of the “mise-en-scéne.”
This includes elements that fall under the umbrella term of production design (props, wardrobe, set design, movie props, etc.) as well as cinematography (cinematic lighting, frame rate, depth of field, camera framing, composition). In addition, the blocking and staging of the camera and actors, their performance, and even what we hear on the soundtrack (film music, sound design) counts as mise-en-scéne.
Relevant resource: How to read mise en scéne | Visual film analysis explained!
3. Recurring visual motifs of flowers in “The Red Sleeve” as homage to PD Lee Byung-hoon, “King of sageuks”?
In Ep. 7 of “The Red Sleeve,” Deok-im is assigned to work in the Crown Prince’s garden. There, Yi San shows her a tree on which flowers have recently began to blossom.
From that point on, several scenes feature flowers that are positioned in the foreground and sometimes used in rack focus shots.
Perhaps the most prominent use of flowers as visual motifs in “The Red Sleeve” is in Ep. 17 as you can see in these two GIFs.
A possible reason why “The Red Sleeve” uses flowers as visual motifs (or as part of the mise-en-scéne) could be to create artistic consistency. IMO, the director and cinematographer of “The Red Sleeve” are paying homage to PD Lee Byung-hoon, who is known as the “King of sageuks” for having directed blockbuster dramas such as “A Jewel in the Palace,” “Yi San,” “Dong Yi,” “The King’s Doctor,” and “The Flower in Prison.” As I pointed out in a reddit discussion more than a year ago, numerous shots in “Yi San” have foliage or flowers in the foreground area of the frame (either on the top, bottom, or any of the two sides) as you can see in the JPG and GIF below. Lee Byung-hoon also used this visual motif in his dramas “Dong Yi,” “The King’s Doctor,” and “The Flower in Prison” but to a lesser extent.
This shot from Ep. 17 of “The Red Sleeve” and this GIF from Ep. 62 of “Yi San” convince me that indeed these visual motifs of flowers are an homage to Lee Byung-hoon. In the JPG from “The Red Sleeve,” there’s a lens flare caused by the sunlight; in the GIF from “Yi San,” the scene ends with a cross dissolve of the flowering tree and a quarter moon.
4. Recurring compositional technique in “The Red Sleeve”: The frame is divided into quadrants, and the subject is placed in any of the quadrants.
Top right quadrant
Lower left quadrant
Lower right quadrant
Relevant resources: “Composition In Storytelling”; “Composition Techniques for Widescreen Aspect Ratios”; “Composition Tips for 16:9” (Videomaker); “Is the Rule of Thirds Right for 2.39:1?” (Neil Oseman).
5. “Visual cues” are explained in an excellent series of articles from “My Drama List” written by someone with the username “3GGG.”
Popular Visual Cues found in K-Dramas, Part 1: visual ways to establish a conflict, division, or fight between two or more characters
Popular Visual Cues in K-Dramas, Part 2: boxing to establish a character’s vulnerability, solitude, or fear; comfort and respite; change; danger; showdown
Popular Visual Cues in K-Dramas, Part 3: Dutch angle
Popular Visual Cues in K-Dramas, Part 4: Interpersonal cues (using cues simultaneously or one after another)
These MDL articles on visual cues will help you better “read” K-dramas. (I prefer, however, the term “framing” instead of “boxing.”)
Yi San confronts his mother Lady Hyegyeong about why she brought Deok-im back to the palace; notice the blurred foreground object that serves as a dividing line between them.
When two or more characters are within the same frame, it could mean either unity or division (conflict) depending on the context.
Deok-im and Yi San are in the detached house with the flower garden (unity).
In the library, Deok-im and Yi San are framed by the bookshelves (division/conflict).
Framed by the foreground structure to depict their division/conflict, Head Court Lady Jo tells Deok-im that she no longer needs her to be Yi San’s concubine:
Royal Noble Consort Hwa-bin orders her attendants to drag Deok-im to Queen Dowager Jungsoon’s quarters; she’s positioned in one frame while Deok-im and the attendants are in another frame.
Deok-im is being bathed and prepared to spend the night with Yi San; the scene’s emotional tension is reinforced by the frame that boxes her in.
In Ep. 17, Queen Jungsoon laments that the palace is her luxurious prison; the emotional tension is reinforced by the frame that boxes her in.
6. Influences by Wes Anderson and Bong Joon-ho in the cinematography of “The Red Sleeve”?
(a) Wes Anderson’s visual style is marked by, among other things, bird’s eyeview shots. “The Red Sleeve” has numerous bird’s eyeview shots, which are obviously drone shots.
(b) One of the most-talked about scenes in the 2019 Oscar-winning movie “Parasite” by Bong Joon-ho is that scene when Mrs. Park is stunned when Jessica tells her that her son has artistic talent. In that scene, Jessica is frame right while Mrs. Park is frame left. The cinematographer deliberately “crosses the line” or disregards the “180-degree rule” such that Jessica becomes frame left while Mrs. Park becomes frame right.
“The Red Sleeve” has a scene (involving Deok-im and Lady Hyegyeong) similar to this famous scene from "Parasite" although it’s shot from a different direction as you can see in this GIF.
