“…The historical elements that comprise the backbones of these dramas are greatly fabricated. In fact, it would be fair to say that 10 percent is true history
while the remaining 90 is fiction…”

When a very “unexciting” news report pops up near the end of the nine o’clock News, and you decide to exercise your thumb on the remote to see if anything better is being aired, you might have caught sight of a man in classy traditional red or green attire. What you saw at that time was probably the king of the Chosun dynasty.
 
For the past several years, there has been an unforeseen increase in the production of historical dramas in all of Korea’s major broadcasting stations. This increase has been matched with a rise in interest from viewers all over the nation, ranging from preschool and elementary students to old-aged seniors. Often times, dramas that draw upon Korean history have outplayed their rivals which are based on modern-day love stories Fan clubs have emerged, and online newspapers are busy publishing articles on what the story of the next episode may be about.
 
The engine behind this success and popularity lies in the people’s interest in learning more about their nation’s history. Students find these dramas especially helpful, and it seems as though station producers keep this in mind as they sketch out their next dramas. Some boast of their patriotic intentions of correctly portraying the distorted version of history that people both here and abroad have been taught.
 
However, do not believe everything you see. What many people do not realize is the great irony that lies beneath these dramas. Interestingly, a lot of the dramas that producers proclaim to have created in order to “correctly portray the distorted version of history” are themselves distorted. Let’s take a look at some of the more popular historical dramas, and discern what is real and what is not.

Daejoyoung

Korean Broadcasting System (KBS)’s renowned historical drama, Daejoyoung, is based on the life of the founder of the nation, Balhae. However, one of the most explicitly distorted historical facts in this drama is the birth and succession of the 2nd king, King Mu. Furthermore, the producers went as far as to create fictional characters, such as Keom, for the sake of the story.

Daejoyoung’s achievements have also failed being distorted by the men behind the camera. In the drama, Daejoyoung is portrayed as the main leader of most of the Goguryeo revival movement, including the Hanseong Revival Movement, in which he was nothing more than one of the rebellion leaders of the Goguryeo migrants.

In addition, although one of the characters named Gyeolsabiwoo is shown to be a follower of Daejoyoung, historical documents have shown that Gyeolsabiwoo was actually in a much higher position than Daejoyoung. Another character, Heuksoodol, never even existed.
What’s worth noticing is that apart from the fact that he gathered a group of Goguryeo migrants near Dongmo Mountain in 698 and established the nation called Balhae, there isn’t much information revealed about Daejoyoung at all. Thus, it would probably be most wise to view this drama with a skeptical eye, for you never know what may have been fabricated to fill in the holes.

Jumong

Jumong is one of Munhwa Broadcasting Cooperation (MBC)’s successful historical products and is based on the life of Jumong or King Dongmyeongseong, the founder of the great nation, Goguryeo. However in the film, there are several distorted historical facts that must be pointed out.
 
In Jumong, the character relationships have been controversial. For instance, Jumong is shown in the drama to be the son of Yuhwa and Haemosu. However, there have been arguments stating that he is instead the son of Yuhwa and Haemosu’s second son. The reason for such controversies, some netizens assume, is because the scriptwriters of Jumong had used various sources, some of which contain content that contradict one another.
 
Also, in the drama, Jeonhan is portrayed as a very strong and powerful nation, constantly invading Buyeo to plunder its people. Again, this is incorrect. Various historical sources show that it was unlikely that Jeonhan would commit such acts considering its lack of power at that time.

Taewang Sashingi

Taewang Sashingi is another one of MBC’s latest historical dramas and is based on the legendary king of Goguryeo, King Gwanggaeto the Great, and the story of how he came to take over the vast land that lies north of Korea and what is nowadays known as China.

However, there have been constant criticisms based on the fact that this drama fails to show the truly important achievements of King Gwanggaeto, such as his conquest of the Japanese pirate raiders and the Manchurians. In fact, some believe that the producers did this intentionally, avoiding further historically sensitive issues such as the roots of Goguryeo’s political power, in order to export the drama to countries such as Japan and China.

Taewang Sashingi also focuses so much on the conflicts occurring within the Royal Court that it sometimes appears to have forgotten its main purpose.

The story regarding the Korean ancient history book Hwandangogi is also another controversial issue. If you tune into Taewang Sashingi, you will find the word “Jyushin” used frequently. However, some people are unaware of the fact that the nation that “Jyushin” indicates never existed. 

Wang-gwa Na

Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS)’s latest production, Wang-gwa Na, meaning the King and Me, is based on a love story inside the palace walls, and at the same time, depicts the joys and sorrows of the life of the eunuch class.

However, this drama also has great flaws, and one who is ignorant of history might be susceptible to believing that what is being portrayed is true. King Seongjong, the sixth emperor of Goryeo, is depicted as a man who does nothing but pursue his loved one, when in reality, he was a great king who achieved many great things.

Furthermore, the drama’s main storyline includes the poisoning of King Yejong by Jo Chi Kyeom, the head of the eunuchs, in order to secure his ambition and the future of the eunuch class. However, history speaks differently. Critics have pointed out that King Yejong was never poisoned, but died of an illness he had since he was young.

These are just a few of the many distorted fictional scenes that are creating endless controversies online, and some netizens have been continuously reprimanding the broadcasting stations for airing such works of fabrication.

GT: What do you think is the driving force behind the rising popularity of historical dramas?

Lee: I would have to argue that it is the dramatic elements of war, love, and relationships that are manifested in these programs. Television dramas feed solely off of their popularity, and thus producers use high-tech filming techniques and expand the scale of the story in order to entertain and satisfy the viewers.

However, I do not believe this is a desirable trend. The historical elements that comprise the backbone of these dramas are greatly fabricated. In fact, it would be fair to say that 10 percent is true history while the remaining 90 is fiction. Nowadays, history is being used for commercial purposes, and I am concerned about the effects that this trend may have if it continues. 

GT: Daejoyoung, Taewang Sashingi, and other historical dramas have greatly distorted Korean history. What do you think are some of the problems that these fabrications may engender?

Lee: I believe the greatest problem would be that ordinary people tend to believe that many of these dramas are true. It is good to see our people showing interest in history, especially at a time when the world is being globalized and national sentiments arise against the influx of western values and ideals. However, it can become a problem when people go overboard.
 
After watching these programs, drama viewers have fired up controversies on the Internet regarding sensitive issues such as territorial matters. However, the problem lies in the fact that these criticizers support their arguments with so-called “facts” from historical dramas?facts that are not true.
 
But then again, historical dramas have been a catharsis for the viewers, so in some ways, distortion is inevitable.

GT: Do you believe that such historical distortions have a great effect on the ordinary viewers?

Lee: Interestingly, some people believe that the historical dramas play a role in national politics. The leading characters that are portrayed in these programs are sometimes given fabricated leadership qualities in order to send a message that the next president should look or have similar qualities of that character. Also, Jumong has been viewed as a dramatic portrayal of the North Korean nuclear crisis, explaining through metaphors that Kim Jung-il created nuclear weapons as Jumong created steel weapons in order to protect its sovereignty. However, there are concerns that political intentions may seep too much into these programs and distort them even further.
 
Another thing that we should keep in mind is that there is a lack of historical data. Occasionally, in Korea dramas, producers fabricate and make up stories as they go along in the direction that is most favorable to them and their ultimate goal. But then again, how would that be different from what China and Japan are doing to fabricate their history?
 
GT:  Do you have any suggestions or words of advice for people who simply accept drama programs as fact rather than fiction?

Lee: I believe that viewers should not rely on historical dramas as an educational instrument of learning Korean history. I once interviewed a parent who commented that historical dramas have been a great help in teaching history to her child. However, as I have said, most of what dramas portray is false, and thus I highly recommend people put a stop to educating themselves by watching these dramas.
 
I believe there needs to be more of an effort made by historians to uncover such historical distortions and devise better methods of teaching the correct and reliable version of history to the people. 

GT: Do you believe that historical dramas can play an effective role in countering China or Japan’s distorted views of history?

Lee: In retrospect, historical dramas have been great catalysts of reviving debates regarding territorial matters. However, simply creating controversies and not being able to take responsibility for them can become a serious problem. There have been ceaseless tensions over the possession rights of the Gando area, and recent dramas have fired up these conflicts again. Some argue that these actions are taken as preemptive measures before North and South Korea reunifies, but at a time when China’s role is monumental in the reunification process, would it be wise to create unnecessary controversy and sour relations?
 
There are times when such matters should be taken care of, but I am not convinced that that time is now.