Jewel in the Palace star Lee Young-ae returns
after more than a decade as
the lead in Saimdang
the lead in Saimdang
KUALA LUMPUR,
January 23, 2017 – Making a
comeback after a 13-year small-screen hiatus, Lee Young-ae takes centre stage
in Saimdang, Oh!K’s latest period
drama. A love story set across time about the life of historical Korean figure
– Shin Saimdang, the series will premiere with double episodes simultaneously
with Korea on 26 January 2017 (Thursday) at 9pm, exclusively on Oh!K (Astro Ch
394). Fans will be able to catch new episodes every Wednesday and Thursday at
9pm.
Lee Young-ae first gained international
recognition in 2003 for her performance in the award-winning television series,
Jewel in the Palace. The series which
is currently airing on Oh!K was exported to 91 countries, increasing the Korean
pop-culture phenomenon abroad.
Set in both the Joseon era and present day, Saimdang weaves a story of fact and
fiction, uncovering the life of this unconventional 16th century
Korean woman. In an interesting twist, Lee Young-ae is set to play both roles
of the female lead in past and present - as Seo Jiyun, a part-time university
lecturer and Shin Saimdang herself. The story opens when Seo Jiyun discovers
the diary of Shin Saimdang in Italy, and goes on to uncover the secrets about a
mystery painting she finds inside.
Acting alongside Lee Young-ae is Korean
heartthrob Song Seung-heon (East of Eden,
Autumn in My Heart). After a break of three years, he returns to the screen
in his first period drama as Lee Gyeom, Shin Saimdang’s love interest. In Saimdang, viewers can expect to see a
different side to the actor.
Be sure to catch the double-episode
premiere of Saimdang, same time as Korea
on 26 January 2017 (Thursday) at 9PM exclusively on Oh!K (Astro Channel 394). New episodes air every Wednesday and
Thursday at 9PM.
For more information on Oh!K and
its programmes, please visit the Oh!K Website or the Oh!K
Facebook page.
More about Saimdang
An intertwined journey of Jiyun (Starring Lee
Young-ae), a university lecturer of Korean art in the present, and Shin
Saimdang herself in the past comes alive in this brand new series. After Jiyun
stumbles upon the diary of historical figure Shin Saimdang, she becomes
intrigued by a mysterious portrait that she finds inside of it. Looking to
discover the history behind the picture, she takes it upon herself to locate
the real portrait and through this, Saimdang’s love and life story awakens.
View
the official promo here:
Meet the Main Cast
Lee Young-ae (Plays seo Jiyun and
Shin Saimdang)
Lee Young-ae is a well-known
actress in the Korean entertainment scene. She began her career through a role
in an advertisement in 1991, with Andy Lau. In 1995, she went back to school to
pursue her favourite subject – acting.
After 10 years, since
her appearance in the hit drama Jewel in the Palace, Lee Young-ae is finally returning
to the screens.
Through her highly
praised acting skills in Jewel in the Palace, she created a global craze for
Korean dramas. In 2007, she received the Medal of Culture Merit from the South
Korean government for her contribution to the Korean wave.
In Saimdang, Lee Young-ae takes on a double
role in the series. She plays Seo Jiyun, the mother of a precocious
eight-year-old son and a Korean art history lecturer at a university. When she
comes across an old book in Italy suspected of being Saimdang’s memoirs, she
gets swept up in the whirlwind of destiny.
She also plays Shin
Saimdang, the woman who writes “the Sujinbang Diary” that Seo Jiyun discovered.
She is an artist with an extraordinary sense of colour.
Song Seung-heon (Plays Lee Gyeom)
Song Seung Heon is an
instantly recognisable South Korean actor. Wooed by many for his chiselled good
looks, Song Seung Heon began his career as a model for the jeans brand STORM.
He broke into acting
with the 1996 television sitcom Three
Guys, Three Girls, and a very successful acting career followed.
His popularity
increased tremendously with the 2000 drama Autumn
in My Heart which made him one of the most recognised Hallyu stars and much
sought-after actor.
Song Seung Heon has
since starred in many popular films and dramas, including East of Eden (2008), My Princess (2011), Dr. Jin (2012), When a Man Loves (2013).
In Saimdang, he takes on the role as Lee
Gyeom, a free-spirited boy who was locked in a prison disguised as a home. He
was a man who never stopped loving Saimdang and stayed devoted to her all his
life. He was the Joseon version of a chivalrous man who treasured even the
shadow of the woman he loved.
