The Legend

Friday, 02 April 2010 00:00

The title of 2007 epic drama “Taewangsashingi,” aired on local broadcaster MBC, is translated to “The Legend” The historical drama depicts the life of King Gwanggaeto the Great of the Goguryeo Kingdom which existed from 37 B.C. to 668 on the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. King Gwanggaeto is unquestionably one of the most powerful kings in Korean history. During the reigns of the king and his son King Jangsu, the warrior kingdom of Goguryeo encompassed a vast area from central Manchuria to the middle section of the peninsula, present-day south of Seoul. In the course of expanding the large territories, Goguryeo emerged as a major power in Northeast Asia and developed an influential sphere in the region. In fact, Korea has almost never tried to expand its power into another nation since King Gwanggaeto’s campaign into Northern China in the 4th century.

The story of “The Legend” is based on a mixture of legend and historical facts about King Gwanggaeto, making it the first Korean fantasy period drama. Korean Wave star Bae Yong-joon, affectionately known by his nickname “Yonsama” in Japan, played the roles of three major figures in ancient Korean history. The first role is that of Hwanwoong, a son of the god in the heavenly world and father of Gojoseon Kingdom founder Dangun. The second character is Jumong, the founder of the Goguryeo Dynasty and the last one is King Gwanggaeto, the 19th ruler of the kingdom.

The 24-episode TV blockbuster was hugely popular, with its final episode’s audience rating coming in at 37.5 percent. The story greatly appealed to contemporary Koreans who are disturbed by China’s historical claim to the Korean ancient kingdom of Goguryeo. A whopping 46 million dollars were invested to create gorgeous costumes, fabulous sets and spectacular war scenes. Many scenes in the epic drama were hosted in Jeju Island, where thousands of Japanese women rushed to catch a glimpse of heartthrob Bae Yong-joon during the shooting period. Thanks to the Korean actor’s strong fan base in Japan, Japanese broadcaster NHK aired the drama in December 2007. After the broadcast, countless Japanese women aged between 30 and 70 reportedly flocked to Koma Jinja in the Japanese city of Hidaka in Saitama Prefecture, where members of the royal family of an ancient Korean kingdom of Goguryeo are enshrined. Although the costume drama itself did not appeal to Japanese audiences very much, Yonsama’s popularity remained unwavering in the island country. Korean boy band Dong Gang Shin Gi, also known as TVXQ and introduced in Japan as Tohoshinki, sang the theme song for this period drama, entitled “Love Song for a Thousand Years,” composed by renowned Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi.