Who plays the Kisaeng lady?

[Guest]

What is the name of the actress who plays the kisaeng?

Does anyone have a full cast listing?

[Guest]

And is this lady based on a real person?

[Choko]

Actress Jeon Ye-seo : 전예서

- Chung-hyang (The Immortal Yi Sun-shin)
- a Japanese ninja who stabbed Sir Min with a dagger (The Great Jang-geum)

Chung-hyang is a fictional charater based on the typical images of wise and brave Chosunese Kisaengs of that time.

[Guest]

Oh. Thank you, Choko, for the reply. ;D

[Trespasser]

This show is full of unknowns. Even the actor who plays Yi Soon Shin was an unknown and is paid $500 per episode. There was a top star who was begging the producers for Yi Soon Shin role for two months and threatened other actors not to take the role, but the producers wanted a weak and meek Yi Soon Shin, not someone who could kill a man with a facial expression alone.

Ironically, the actors who played Won Gyun and Mijin/Chohee were the only big-name actors, and probably were paid at least 10 times as much as the Yi Soon Shin actor.

[Skinz UL]

Trespasser said:

There was a top star who was begging the producers for Yi Soon Shin role for two months and threatened other actors not to take the role, but the producers wanted a weak and meek Yi Soon Shin, not someone who could kill a man with a facial expression alone.
quote]


The real YSS was in his late 50s for goodness sake. He wasn't a bodybuilder that crushed ships with his hands.

[Alexa]

Well I think the guy who is playing YSS is doing a great job. Besides if he was an unknown before, he's known now.

[ginnycat5]

It's amazing acting that he could be convincing as a 20-something who's insecure, and a driven, focused, fifty-ish man who commands with confidence.

[ronin]

What’s a Kisaeng lady? Is that a noble woman in the Chosun Caste society since this character is a noblewoman? That’s friggin’ crazy that they're paying him $500 bucks per episode as YSS. Unskilled unionized Baggage handlers at American Airlines, UPS package handlers, and Jewel Grocery Store baggers make way more than $500 a week.

[Guest]

Trespasser said:

This show is full of unknowns. Even the actor who plays Yi Soon Shin was an unknown and is paid $500 per episode. There was a top star who was begging the producers for Yi Soon Shin role for two months and threatened other actors not to take the role, but the producers wanted a weak and meek Yi Soon Shin, not someone who could kill a man with a facial expression alone.

Ironically, the actors who played Won Gyun and Mijin/Chohee were the only big-name actors, and probably were paid at least 10 times as much as the Yi Soon Shin actor.

Haha, what an unexpected info. Thanks, Trespasser, for this. Incidentally, the only actor I recognize on this show is Kim Myung Min, the actor who plays the Admiral. This is because I have seen very few Kdramas and one of the kdramas I have seen is "More Beautiful Than a Flower" in which he co-starred.

And since he happened to star in two of my favorite shows and since he happens to be a wonderful performer, I had just assumed that he was a popular Korean actor. Well, I'm happy for his success now. And I hope to see more of him soon. ;D

[Guest]

Trespasser said:

There was a top star who was begging the producers for Yi Soon Shin role for two months and threatened other actors not to take the role, but the producers wanted a weak and meek Yi Soon Shin, not someone who could kill a man with a facial expression alone.

But Trespasser, I am sure you did not mean to say that the producers chose Kim Myung Min because he seems "weak." This actor does portray a sense of "meekness," but only in the sense of "being a calm and patient man" and not in the sense of "one who submits weakly to others."

I never once thought that the Admiral has been portrayed as "weak" in any sense of the term; in fact, he seems possessed with the strongest inner-strength and drive of any character on this show.

[Guest]

ronin said:

That’s friggin’ crazy that they're paying him $500 bucks per episode as YSS. Unskilled unionized Baggage handlers at American Airlines, UPS package handlers, and Jewel Grocery Store baggers make way more than $500 a week.

Haha. ;D

Maybe the pay is insulting for a talented professional actor playing such a meaningful role, but I'd gladly take on the role at this rate for the chance to play the Admiral. ;D

[Guest]

ronin said:

What’s a Kisaeng lady? Is that a noble woman in the Chosun Caste society since this character is a noblewoman?

I am no expert on Korea, but I'll share with you the little I know about the Kisaeng.

The Kisaeng were not noblewomen. And this character, Chung Hyang, is likewise not a noblewoman. On the contrary, they are said to have occupied one of the lowest positions in Chosun society--though on this show, the writers have everyone, including the Crown Prince and Wakizaka, admire Chung Hyang for her grace, poetry, wit, courage, sincerity, and beauty.

The Kisaeng were a class of courtesans--prostitutes--who were skilled in the refined arts and graces of the time.

[Guest]

Trespasser said:

There was a top star who was begging the producers for Yi Soon Shin role for two months and threatened other actors not to take the role, but the producers wanted a weak and meek Yi Soon Shin, not someone who could kill a man with a facial expression alone.

Alright, Trespasser. You have to sate my curiosity now. Who is this top Korean star, whose fearsome look could "kill a man." I've got to know so that I can compare him to the guy who got the part. Thanks. ;D

[TheBo]

ronin said:

...and Jewel Grocery Store baggers make way more than $500 a week.

I think you may be overstating the case on this job, anyway, Ronin. Also, if the "standard of living" is lower (less expensive) in Korea, then the scale of pay would be much less, too. I wonder how much baggage handlers are making in Korea these days.

Hey, guest, you'd better be careful (LOL). We had a huge argument on the Dae Jang Geum board a while back about what exactly a kisaeng was. People got angry. ;D

In any case, since many courtesans were taught to read, sing and recite poetry in order to entertain their customers or masters, it sometimes happened that they became well-known, respected poets themselves. This must be what occurred with the character of Chung-hyang. There was an 18th century Vietnamese poet courtesan named Ho Xuan Hong (called "Spring Essence" and translated in 2000 by John Balaban), for instance, whose poetry was widely known, admired and imitated by the literati of that country.

Bo