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Journal Central

Drama <Sa'yuk-shin>, produced by Joseon Central TV of North Korea in 2007, and recently aired on KBS, is the first drama ever conceived under the joint effort of South and North Korean broadcast stations, and it also provides us with an opportunity to look into the historical perspective of North Korean history fictions. This drama was based upon Rim Jong Sang's <Sa'yuk-shin>(Originally titled as <Sak'pung>), and portrays the events that began with the birth of king Danjong, then unfolded with the Gye'yu-year purge and the Byeongja-year criminal case. Rim was awarded with the Kim Il Seong prize, the highest honor for literary figures in North Korea. In his novel, he presented Seong Sam Mun as the main character, and highlighted many things, such as his romance with a Gisaeng figure named Jo Jeong Shim, the love affair between his oldest daughter and Shin Suk Ju's son Shin Jeong, and his love for his five-year old youngest daughter. In short, he added a personal touch to the Seong Sam Mun character, and tried to highlight the character's own agony and sacrifice. Based on this novel, drama <Sa'yuk-shin>, scripted by Park In Seo and directed by Jang Yeong Bok, amplifies Rim's intentions, and portrays the Six Martyred Vassals' inner conflicts and pain with great detail. For example, Seong Sam Mun has a bad relationship with the cunning Han Myeong Hwe who also had an inferiority complex, yet such bad relationship takes a worse turn when they both come to share a relationship with Jeong So Yeon, the illegitimate grand daughter of Jeong Mong Ju. This whole situation is a bit exaggerated, yet it is designed to add a human aspect to Seong Sam Mun's 'honorable' decisions. This kind of method is usually employed in portraying protagonists in North Korean literature. Most interesting characters are Jeong So Yeon and her associates. After going through some difficulties she finally becomes a Gisaeng figure. She was the reinvention of the Jo Jeong Shim character in Rim's <Sa'yuk-shin>. Yet she also serves as a catalyst for setting off the triangular relationship among herself, Seong Sam Mun and Han Myeong Hwe. It is a stark departure from the novel version's Seong Sam Mun, as in that version he kept his feelings to himself, in a fashion similar to that of Shilla dynasty's Kim Yu Shin who had to bury his feelings toward a female named Cheon'gwan. Jeong was essentially a low-born character as she was established as the illegitimate grand daughter of Jeong Mong Ju, but her family members on her mother's side are described as components of a tightly knit family, and other characters like Na Gil Seok or Gob-dan'i, and their associates like Ha Cheon Mok or Mu'ih, all serve important roles of supporting the main character Seong Sam Mun with their own loyalty and kindness, while also keeping in touch with the Han Myeong Hwe party. They are not randomly created characters, and in fact were carefully crafted to serve the main theme of <Sa'yuk-shin>. As much as their support and assistance are highlighted, it becomes more possible for the readers to identify the six martyred vassals as honorable governmental officials who had support from the public.

Joseon Central Television, <Sa'yuk-shin(Martyred Six Vassals)>, <Sakpung>, Jang Yeong Bok, Park In Seo, Rim Jong Sang, King Sejo, Gye'yu-year purge, Byeongja-year criminal incident