Dae Jo-yeong (TV series)

*Dae Jo-yeong*
Dae Jo-yeong
	File:Dae Joyeong(TV Series-Programme Image).jpg
Genre	Drama(Historical)
Starring	Choi Soo Jong; Lee Deok-hwa; Chung Bo-seok; Park Ye-Jin; Hong Su-hyeon; Im Hyeok; Choi Cheol-ho; Kim Hak-cheol
Country of origin	South Korea
Original language	Korean
No. of episodes	136(total;scheduled); 100(as of August 26, 2007)
Production
Running time	55 minutes
Original release
Network	KBS 1TV
Release	September 16, 2006 –; Present

Dae Joyeong (대조영) is a historical drama aired on KBS1. The Korean drama Dae Jo-yeong (spelled Dae Jo-young in the English release) is about the life of Dae Jo-yeong, also known as the founder of the kingdom of Balhae.

Overview of the Plot

The drama begins during a war between Tang and Goguryeo before Dae Joyeong is born. Dae Jungsang, Dae Joyeong's father is introduced as a general. We are also introduced to Xue Rengui, a man with a brilliant mind who comes up with a plan to bring down Yodong Fortress. After a failed attempt to assassinate the Tang emperor Li Shimin, Jungsang is captured by Tang. Seol, enraged for not receiving credit for his actions, frees him. Dae leaves Seol to himself, and heads to Ansi Fortress.

The emperor, meanwhile, begins plans for making a mountain of earth in order to deliberately destroy the fortress. Dae Joyoung's mother, Dalgi, comes up with the plan to dig under the mountain as it is being built. She is already pregnant with Dae Joyoung. Meanwhile, Seol rescues some Tang soldiers about to be killed. He catches the emperor's eye and is promoted to the rank of general.

As the battle begins, Tang's million men come onto the mountain. The order is given, the energy beams supporting the mountain are loosed, and the mountain crushes hundreds of thousands of Tang soldiers. Dae Joyoung was born during this time.

When Dae Joyeong is born, a prophecy says that he will become a king. Naturally, this is seen as treachery because there is already a king. So his father flees from the Supreme Commander Yeon Gaesomun, who wishes to kill the baby, only to be captured as his wife and son try to escape on a raft. She is later found and captured by the Supreme Commander as well.

The Supreme Commander intended to kill them at first but when General Yang Manchun tells him that perhaps the heavens sent Dae Joyeong to protect their country after they die, he changes his mind. General Dae Jungsang is told his wife and son are dead and ordered to command Goryeo Fortress. His wife is ordered to never communicate with her son, or be killed along with him.

Dae Joyeong is raised by Yeon Gaesomun, the Supreme Commander of Goguryeo as a serf and is called Gaedong so he wouldn't question why he is a serf and discover who he was with his real name. As a child he is often shown running away from the Supreme Commander's estate and trying to find his parents, although not knowing his parents are alive since the Supreme Commander constantly tells him that his parents are dead.

Dae Joyeong teaches himself to read and fight. He also (when grown up) begs the Supreme Commander's eldest son (Yeon Namsaeng) to allow him to join the martial arts contest because the reward is emancipation (freedom), but he refuses. When he hears the Supreme Commander say that he would accept anyone who had a recommendation from the Grand Martial General Yang Manchun, he runs away to Ansi Fortress and impresses Yang Manchun, who wonders if he is Dae Jungsang's son.

Dae Joyeong tells Yang Manchun that he is a serf and that he wants to be a warrior. Yang Manchun, not wanting to hurt him by letting him think he has a chance, tells him to fight the best fighter (Geol Sabiu) in Yodong Fort. He surprises everyone and is about to smash the Geol Sa-Biwoo's head with a rock when General Yang Manchun stops the fight. He asks Dae-Joyeong why he would try cheating and he replies that in a fight, there are no rules, since for him this fight is worth more than his life.

Later, Yang Manchun gives him a recommendation, but when Dae-Joyeong returns to Pyongyang and gives the recommendation to Yeon Gaesomun, Yeon Gaesomun angrily rips it up and says that no one can stop Dae Joyeong from entering the contest now except for him. Dae Joyeong is heartbroken and returns to being a serf. On the day of the contest, he desperately tries to sneak in one last time, but gets caught and thrown into a barn.

During this time, the princess, King Bojang's niece Sugyeong dresses up as a soldier to watch the contest. Meanwhile, at the Pyongyang palace, a Tang envoy (Seol Ingui) arrives and causes mischief by offering a peace treaty, in which a princess from Goguryeo and a prince from Tang are to marry. Yeon Gaesomun instantly rejects it and forces the civil officials to reject it too, but Seol had not come for the peace treaty, but for a chance to assassinate Yeon Gaesomun, who is one of the pillars of the country. Seol teams up with Bu Kiwon, one of the civil officials, and hires some assassins to kill Yeon Gaesomun.

Right before the contest begins the assassins go to the same barn Dae Joyeong was locked in to form a plan (each of their swords are laced with a deadly poison). Dae Joyeong hears them talking and figures out what they are up to, but he then makes a tiny noise which immediately catches the assassins' attention. One of the assassins tells the others to go ahead since the martial arts contest was beginning and stays to take care of Dae Joyeong. The princess enters the barn, and the assassin is about to kill her. Joyeong is able to save the princess and knock out the assassin. When the princess tries to prevent him from leaving, as she thinks that he is the assassin, he knocks her out. The assassination attempt fails, thanks to Dae Joyeong, but he is cut by one of the poisoned blades and falls unconscious.Yeon Gaesomun immediately order a royal dctor to heal him.

Set

In the Havasu Resort near the Sorak Mountains(in Sokcho city, which is the official sponcer of this series) is the set for Dae Joyeong. Anyone who visit that place can see the Goryeo armory with every weapon you can think of hanging on the walls, the kitchen of the Tang Dynasty Palace with real food in the pots, and even a live cow attached to a cart. After events happen Gorguryeo fall.

Casts

Based on the major casts of 100th episode, as of August 26, 2007.

Balhae's bench

Choi Soo Jong(최수종) : as Dae Jo-yeong(later Go of Balhae)
Hong Su Hyeon(홍수현) : as Suk-yeong (숙영, his wife; will become as the Empress of Go of Balhae)
Im Hyeok(임혁) : as Dae Jung-sang (대중상), father of Dae Joyeong
Choi Cheol Ho(최철호) : as Geol sabiu (걸사비우), a sworn brother of Dae Joyeong
Kim Hak Cheol(김학철) : as Heuksudol (흑수돌), ibid.
Kim Jeong Hyeon(김정현) : as Mimosa (미모사), chief-tactician of Dae Joyeong
Shim Eun Jin(심은진) : as Geum-ran (금란), adopted brother of Mimosa; later become as a meritorious retainer of Balhae
Yoon Yong Hyeon(윤용현) : as Gyepilsamun(계필사문), minority leader of Göktürks(Korean: 돌궐, Dol-gwol) group
Bang Hyeong Ju(방형주) : as Tung-so(퉁소), general of Dol-gwol group and follower of Gyepilsamun
Im Seon Taek(임선택) : as Jang San-hae(장산해), general of Balhae and follower of Dae Jung-sang.
Jang Sun Guk(장순국) : as Dol-bal(돌발), ibid.
Shin Won Gyun(신원균) : as Mu-yeom(무염), ibid.
Im Chae Won(임채원) : as Uh-hong(어홍), a wife of Heuksudol.

Goguryeo's bench

Kim Jin Tae(김진태) : as Yeon Gaesomun(연개소문), Generalissimo of Goguryeo.
Im Dong Jin(임동진) : as Yang Manchun(양만춘), the lord of a Ansi fortress.
Gil Yong U(길용우) : as King Bojang(보장태왕), Last King of Goguyeo.
Kim Ha Gyun(김하균) : as Bugiwon(부기원), former chancellor of Goguryeo, Betrayer(later killed by Dae Joyeong's civil protesters)

Tang's bench

Lee Deok Hwa(이덕화) : as Xue Rengui(설인귀)
Rhyu Tae Seul(류태술) : as Hong-pae(홍패)
Song Yong Tae (송용태) : as Emperor Taizong of Tang (당 태종)
Yang Geum Seok(양금석) : as Wu Zetian(성신황제; 측천무후)
Nam Seong Jin(남성진) : as Li Mun(이문), General of Tang(later became a follower of Xue Rengui)
Jeon Hyeon(전현) : as Museongsa(무승사), chancellor of Tang.

Khitan's bench

Park Ye-Jin(박예진) : as Chu-lin(초린), Daughter of Khan Li Jinzhong(once Dae Joyeong's girlfriend, now wife of Li Kaigu)
Jeong Bo Seok(정보석) : as Li Kaigu(이해고), Chief-general of Khitan
Kim Dong Hyeon(김동현) : as Li Jinzhong(이진충), the 1st Khan of Khitan
Cho In Pyo(조인표) : as Sun Wanrong(손만영), the 2nd Khan of Khitan
Kim Gyu Cheol(김규철) : as Shin-hong(신홍), tactician of Li Kaigu
Lee Dal Hyeong(이달형) : as Seol Gye-du(설계두), follower of Li Kaigu
Hwang Taek Ha(황택하) : as Mo-gye(모계), ibid.
Jeong Tae Wu(정태우) : as Geom(검). Currently, he is a son of Li Kaigu, however, he is an inherited(by blood) son of Dae Joyeong(so that, his future which featured on this series is still uncertain).

Göktürks's bench

Kang Jae Ik(강재익) : as Muchuo Khan (묵철), a King (majority leader, Khan) of Göktürks group
Lee Yeong Ho(이영호) : as Li-nel(이넬), prince of Göktürks
Kim Seong Hun(김성훈) : as Ton Yu-kuk(톤유쿡), General and facilitator of Göktürks

External links

KBS 대하드라마 대조영 Template:Ko icon, official website
Drama "The King Dae Joyoung", KBS Global Marketing

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