''Deep Rooted Tree'' () is a 2011

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

n television series starring

Han Suk-kyu Han Suk-kyu (born November 3, 1964) is a South Korean actor. One of the leading actors of Korean cinema, Han's notable works include ''Green Fish'' (1997), '' No. 3'' (1997), ''Christmas in August'' (1998), '' Shiri'' (1999), ''The Scarlet Letter ...

Jang Hyuk Jeong Yong-jun (born December 20, 1976), better known as Jang Hyuk, is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in the films ''Volcano High'' (2001) and ''Windstruck'' (2004), and the television dramas ''Successful Story of a ...

and

Shin Se-kyung Shin Se-kyung (; born July 29, 1990) is a South Korean actress, singer and model. She started as a child actress and had her breakthrough in 2009 with the sitcom ''High Kick Through the Roof''. Since then she starred in the films ''Hindsight'' ...

. Based on the novel of the same name by

Lee Jung-myung Lee Jung-myung is a South Korean writer. A popular writer of historical fiction, his books have sold millions of copies in his native country. Several of his books have been adapted into successful TV miniseries, e.g. '' The Deep-Rooted Tree'' ( ...

, it aired on SBS from 5 October to 22 December 2011 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 24 episodes. Taking its name from the poem

Yongbieocheonga ''Yongbieocheonga'', literally ''Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven'', was the first work written in Hangul. The book was published in 1447 and written by Jeong Inji (정인지, 鄭麟趾), An Ji (안지, 安止), and Kwon Jae (권제, 權踶). ...

that says that trees with deep roots do not sway, the series tells the story of a royal guard (played by

) investigating a case involving the serial murders of Jiphyeonjeon scholars in

Gyeongbok Palace Gyeongbokgung (), also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace or Gyeongbok Palace, was the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. Built in 1395, it is located in northern Seoul, South Korea. The largest of the '' Five Grand Palaces'' built by the Joseo ...

while

King Sejong Sejong of Joseon (15 May 1397 – 8 April 1450), personal name Yi Do (Korean: 이도; Hanja: 李祹), widely known as Sejong the Great (Korean: 세종대왕; Hanja: 世宗大王), was the fourth ruler of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. Initial ...

(played by

, in his TV comeback after 16 years of solely film work) comes to create the

Korean alphabet The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The let ...

Synopsis

Early in his reign,

inevitably causes the death of his in-laws and their slaves in an attempt to save them from his brutal father,

King Taejong Taejong of Joseon (13 June 1367 – 8 June 1422), personal name Yi Bang-won ( Korean: 이방원; Hanja: 李芳遠), was the third ruler of the Joseon dynasty of Korea and the father of King Sejong the Great. Before ascending to the throne, he ...

, mainly due to his lack of authority and power. Two young slaves, Ddol-bok and his friend Dam, survive but neither knows if the other has. Ddol-bok blames the king and vows to kill him to avenge the deaths of everyone he loved and spends years becoming a great warrior. Dam, who has a

photographic memory Eidetic memory ( ; more commonly called photographic memory or total recall) is the ability to recall an image from memory with high precision—at least for a brief period of time—after seeing it only onceThe terms ''eidetic memory'' and ''pho ...

, becomes a

court lady ''Court Lady'' () is a 2021 Chinese television series produced by Yu Zheng, starring Xu Kai and Li Yitong. Once renowned as Chang’an’s number one hedonist, Sheng Chumu could barely ride on a horse without falling off. Now, he has fallen head ...

called So-yi (

), but she feels so guilty about her role in the other slaves' deaths that she becomes mute. Ddol-bok returns to the palace under the name of Kang Chae-yoon (

) to kill the king. However, during his time there, he becomes embroiled in the mystery surrounding the deaths of several

Hall of Worthies The Hall of Worthies, or Jiphyeonjeon (; ), was a royal research institute set up by Sejong the Great of the Korean Joseon Dynasty in March 1420. Set up during the beginning of his reign, King Sejong staffed the Hall of Worthies with talented sc ...

scholars. The deaths were caused by a secret society called "Hidden Root," which was created long ago by followers of

Jeong Do-jeon Jeong Dojeon (Korean: 정도전, Hanja: 鄭道傳, 1342 – October 6, 1398), also known by his pen name Sambong (Korean: 삼봉), was a prominent Korean scholar-official during the late Goryeo to the early Joseon periods. He served as the first ...

, with the goal of giving more power to ministers and less to the king. King Taejong killed Jeong Do-jeon and all of his family except his nephew, Jeong Gi-joon, who is now the leader of Hidden Root and lives in disguise not far from King Sejong. It soon becomes known that the king, with the help of So-yi and the Hall of Worthies scholars, has been working for years on a secret project, which turns out to be the creation of the

. While tracking Hidden Root, Kang Chae-yoon and So-yi each realizes who the other really is - Ddol-bok and Dam. Realizing that each other are the ones who they were dying to find, So-yi begins to speak. So-yi shows Chae-yoon the alphabet and describes how it will give more power to commoners. Chae-yoon is amazed with the simplicity of the alphabet and is convinced to work with the king instead of killing him. However, Jeong Gi-joon believes that the new alphabet is a threat to

Confucian Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a Religious Confucianism, religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, ...

order, and decides to stop it at all costs. He murders the king's son, but this only makes Sejong more determined. Jeong is able to stop the king's dissemination efforts, and on the day the alphabet is to be publicly announced, both So-yi and Chae-yoon are fatally wounded by Hidden Root members. However, through their sacrifices, the event is successful, and commoners begin to use

Hangul The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The let ...

Cast

Main

Song Joong-ki Song Joong-ki (; born September 19, 1985) is a South Korean actor. He rose to fame in the historical coming-of-age drama ''Sungkyunkwan Scandal'' (2010) and the variety show '' Running Man'' (2010–2011) as one of the original cast members. S ...

as teen Yi Do **Kang San as child Yi Do :The creator of

. During his early years as king, Yi Do had a strained relationship with his father and harbored guilt for seeing people's suffering and death (including his wife's family) under his father's tyrannical rule. After the death of his father and his wife Soheon, Yi Do (now called King Sejong) employs Kang Chae-yoon as an investigator (unaware he is the same boy whom he spared years before) and is helped by So-yi in the creation of Hangul. He later finds out that Chae-yoon is the same boy who tried to kill him. *

as Kang Chae-yoon/Ddol-bok **

Yeo Jin-goo Yeo Jin-goo (, born August 13, 1997) is a South Korean actor. Yeo began his career as a child actor, debuting in the film '' Sad Movie'' (2005). Nicknamed "Nation's Little Brother", he went on to play the younger characters of the lead roles in ...

as teen Ddol-bok **

Chae Sang-woo Chae Sang-woo (born March 31, 1999) is a South Korean actor. He began his acting career in 2008 as a child actor, notably in ''Deep Rooted Tree'' (2011). Filmography Film *''Wretches'' (2018) - Jo Seong-woo *''The Huntresses'' (2014) - Sa-hyun * ...

as child Ddol-bok :A former slave who has become royal guard and detective of King Sejong. As a child, Ddol-bok protected his intellectually disabled father from the teasing of other servants of the Queen's family. Later, Ddol-bok 's father was arrested and beaten, finally dying in front of him and his childhood friend So-yi. Though he was actually saved by King Sejong, he doesn't know it, and because he blames Sejong for his father's death, has sworn to avenge him by killing the king. He becomes a soldier under a changed name, and also trains under a martial arts master named Lee Bang-Ji, who showed him the way of the leaping martial arts that shows incredible speed, agility, power and stamina. Chae-yoon later becomes a low-level guard along with his friends, because he wants to keep a low profile from the king. He doesn't know that So-yi is Dam, believing that she is dead. *

as So-yi/Dam **

Kim Hyun-soo Hyun-soo Kim (; ; born January 12, 1988) is a South Korean professional baseball outfielder for the LG Twins of the KBO League. He previously played for the Doosan Bears, and has also played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore O ...

as young Dam :Chae-yoon's friend who was saved as a child by Sejong's wife and became a court lady. During her early years as court lady, Yi Do apologized to her for his role in her family's death. She feels so guilty about her role in her fellow slaves' deaths that she cannot speak, but she is useful in the creation of Hangul because of her photographic memory.

Supporting

Jeon No-min Jun No-min (born Jun Jae Yong on August 28, 1966) is a South Korean actor. Among his recent roles were the villainous Hwarang warrior Seolwon in ''Queen Seondeok'', and the fictional independence fighter Damsari in '' Bridal Mask''. Filmograp ...

as Jeong Do-kwang :"Sambong"

's brother *

Yoon Je-moon Yoon Je-moon (born March 9, 1970) is a South Korean actor. He appears in theater, film and television, notably in the movies ''The Man Next Door'' (2010) and ''Dangerously Excited'' (2012), and the TV series '' The End of the World'' (2013). F ...

as Jeong Gi-joon/Ga Ri-on **

Choi Woo-shik Choi Woo-shik (; born March 26, 1990) is an South Korean-Canadian actor based in South Korea. He first gained widespread recognition for his leading role in the film '' Set Me Free'' (2014). He then co-starred in the films ''Train to Busan'' (201 ...

as young Jeong Gi-joon/Ga Ri-on *

Ahn Suk-hwan Ahn Suk-hwan (Hangul: 안석환; real name: Ahn Jin-hyeong (Hangul: 안진형); November 1, 1959) is a South Korean actor. Ahn has been active in theater, film and television since 1986. His onscreen roles include both comedic and villainous sup ...

as Lee Shin-juk * Lee Jae-yong as Jo Mal-saeng *Kwon Tae-won as

Choe Manri Choe Manri (, d. 23 October 1445) or sometimes spelled Choi Malli, was an associate professor in the Hall of Worthies (집현전 부제학, 集賢殿副提學) who spoke against the creation of ''hangul'' (then called ''eonmun'') together with oth ...

*Jeon Seung-hwan as

Hwang Hui Hwang Hui (8 March 1363 – 28 February 1452) was a politician of the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties, who came from the Jangsu Hwang clan and once served as prime minister of the Joseon dynasty from 1431 to 1449. Biography Hwang Hui was an offi ...

Cho Jin-woong Cho Jin-woong (born Jo Won-jun; March 3, 1976) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles as Sejong's loyal bodyguard in ''Deep Rooted Tree'' (2011), a mobster in '' Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time'' (2012), and a mysterious vil ...

as Moo-hyul :Sejong's bodyguard and friend who would sacrifice himself to protect his friend. *

Park Hyuk-kwon Park Hyuk-kwon (born July 11, 1971) is a South Korean actor. Park began his acting career in 1993 as a member of the theater troupe Sanulrim. He later became a well-regarded supporting actor in films such as '' Chaw'' (2009) and ''Secret Reunion ...

Jeong In-ji Jeong In-ji (; December 28, 1396 – November 26, 1478) was a Korean Neo-Confucian scholar, historian who served as Vice Minister of Education or Deputy Chief Scholar (Head of Office for Special Advisors) during the reign of King Sejong the Gre ...

*Jang Ji-eun as

Queen Soheon Queen Soheon (소헌왕후 심씨, 12 October 1395 – 19 April 1446), of the Cheongsong Sim clan, was a posthumous name bestowed to the wife and queen consort of Yi Do, King Sejong and the mother of Yi Hyang, King Munjong and Yi Yu, King Sejo ...

Kim Ki-bang Kim Ki-bang (born May 31, 1981) is a South Korean actor. Since his acting debut in 2005, Kim has played supporting roles in television dramas such as ''Boys Over Flowers'' (2009), '' Golden Time'' (2012), ''Gu Family Book'' (2013), ''Medical To ...

as Cho-tak *

Shin Seung-hwan Shin Seung-hwan is a South Korean actor. Filmography Film Television series Web series Television show Web shows References External links * * * Shin Seung-hwanat Daum Shin Seung-hwanat Naver Naver (Hangul: 네이버) is ...

as Park Po *

Song Ok-sook Song Ok-sook (born August 14, 1960) is a South Korean actress. She has appeared in supporting roles in numerous television dramas, including ''Winter Sonata'', ''Beethoven Virus'', ''More Charming by the Day'', and '' Missing You''. Song is al ...

as Do Dam-daek *

Han Sang-jin Han Sang-jin (born January 17, 1978) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for starring in television dramas such as ''Behind the White Tower'' (2007), '' Yi San'' (2007), '' My Too Perfect Sons'' (2009), ''Marry Me, Please'' (2010), and ' ...

as Shim Jong-soo *

Seo Jun-young Seo Jun-young (, born Kim Sang-gu, 김상구, April 24, 1987) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in award-winning indie ''Bleak Night'', period drama ''Deep Rooted Tree'', coming-of-age film Coming of age is a young p ...

as Prince Gwangpyeong *

Lee Soo-hyuk Lee Soo-hyuk (; born Lee Hyuk-soo on May 31, 1988) is a South Korean model and actor. Life and career Born Lee Hyuk-soo, he debuted as a model in designer Jung Wook-jun's ''Lone Costume'' fashion show in 2006. He walked down the runways of th ...

as Yoon Pyeong **

Baek Su-ho Baek Su-ho (born Baek Seung-hwan on April 17, 1998) is a South Korean actor. He began his career as a child actor The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in movies or television. An adult who ...

as young Pyeong :An assassin who was smitten by So-yi when he took her hostage. *

Kim Ki-bum Kim Ki-bum (born August 21, 1987), known mononymously as Kibum, is a South Korean actor and singer. He was a member of Super Junior. After the release of Super Junior's third studio album ''Sorry, Sorry'' in 2009, Kim announced his leave from ...

Pak Paengnyeon Pak Paeng-nyeon (박팽년, 朴彭年; 1417–1456) was a scholar-official of the early Joseon Dynasty, and is known as one of the six martyred ministers. He was born to a yangban family of the Suncheon Park clan, and was the son of high ministe ...

Hyun Woo Hyun Woo (; born Kim Hyun-woo on January 18, 1985) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in the television series ''Pasta'' and the sitcom ''Living Among the Rich''. In 2009, he, Lee Jang-woo and No Min-woo formed the K-pop pro ...

Seong Sam-mun Seong Sam-mun (1418 — 8 June 1456) was a scholar-official of early Joseon who rose to prominence in the court of King Sejong the Great (r. 1418–1450). He was executed after being implicated in a plot to dethrone King Sejo (r. 1455–1468) and ...

Jo Hee-bong Jo Hee-bong (born August 23, 1971) is a South Korean actor. Hee-bong began his acting career in 1997 as part of the theatre troupe Bipa (비파). He later became known as a supporting actor onscreen, in films such as '' Blind'' (2011) and ''Inc ...

Han Myung-hoi Han Myeong-hoe (Hangul: 한명회, Hanja: 韓明澮; 26 November 1415 – 28 November 1487) was a Korean politician and soldier during the Joseon period. He was the most trusted tactician of Grand Prince Suyang during the 1453 coup and the subs ...

/Han Ga-nom *

Jung Da-bin Jeong Da-bin (March 4, 1980 – February 10, 2007) was a South Korean actress. Best known for the popular television series ''Cats on the Roof'', she died through suicide in 2007 at the age of 26. Career Born Jeong Hye-seon in Seongnam, Gyeongg ...

as Yeon-doo *Jeon Young-bin as Mak-soo *

Woo Hyun Woo Hyun (born 1964) is a South Korean actor, and former democracy activist. Filmography Film Television series Variety show References External links * Living people People from Gwangju South Korean male television actors So ...

as Lee Bang-ji *Yoo Hyun-soo as Lee Soon-ji *

Shin So-yul Shin So-yul (born Kim Jung-min on August 5, 1985) is a South Korean actress. Shin began acting in 2006, and appeared in supporting roles in films and television series such as ''Hello My Love'', ''Jungle Fish 2'', and '' Penny Pinchers''. Her bre ...

as Mok-ya *Shim So-heon as Deok-geum *

Baek Yoon-sik Baek Yoon-sik (born 16 March 1947) is a South Korean actor. He is known for his characteristic near-expressionless facial acting. Career Baek Yoon-sik made his debut in 1970 on KBS TV. In the coming years he would appear in four films, taking l ...

/Yi Bangwon (cameo) *Han In-soo as

Sim On Shim On (1375 – 18 January 1419) was a Korean politician. He was the Chief State Councillor of the Korean Joseon from September 1418 to December 1418 and the father of Queen Soheon and father-in-law to King Sejong. He is known for his treason ...

(cameo) *

Choi Il-hwa Choi Il-hwa (born May 9, 1959) is a South Korean actor. He joined the Madang Sesil Theatre Group in 1983, and has since continued acting in Korean theater, television and film. Filmography Film *'' No Tomorrow (2016) *''Wonderful Nightmare'' ...

as Kim Jongseo *Heo Joon-seok as Kkeut-soo *

Ryu Seung-soo Ryu Seung-soo (born August 12, 1971) is a South Korean actor. Ryu made his acting debut in 1997 with a minor role in Park Chan-wook's film ''Trio'', and has been active as a supporting actor on film and television since. Among his notable films a ...

as Jang Sung-soo *Baek Seo-bin as Jang Eun-sung *Min Ji-young as Yeon-doo's mother * Lee Se-na as Geun-ji *

Choi Jung-woo Choi Jung-woo (born February 17, 1957) is a South Korean actor. He began his acting career in theater, then became active as a supporting actor in film and television, notably in the sitcom '' Standby'' and the procedural dramas ''Quiz of God ...

as Park Eun *Jung Yoo-chan as Heo Dam * Jung Joon-won as child with bone cancer *Kim Sung-hyun as Kareupeyi Temukan (Alias: Gae Pa-yi) :Though his origins are vague, the drama refers him to be from the Yuan Dynasty (Modern China, Russia and Mongolia). He is a master assassin who belonged to the mercenary group called the Gokturks. It is said no one can fight him and win that's why he is also called the invincible man. His skills exceed those of Kang Chae-yoon, Moo-hyul and Yoon Pyeong. The only one that is equally matched to him is Lee Bang-ji, whom he kills.

Ratings

Source
AGB Nielsen Korea

Awards and nominations

International broadcast

It aired in Japan on KNTV from 24 July to 17 September 2012, which was followed by

rerun A rerun or repeat is a rebroadcast of an episode of a radio or television program. There are two types of reruns – those that occur during a hiatus, and those that occur when a program is syndicated. Variations In the United Kingdom, the word ...

s on terrestrial network

TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as and known colloquially as , is a television station headquartered in the Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, owned and operated by the subsidiary of listed certified b ...

. It aired in Thailand on Channel 7 every Monday to Thursday at 2.10 a.m. starting 14 January 2016.

References

External links

''Deep Rooted Tree'' official SBS website
* * {{Paeksang Arts Award Grand Prize Television 2011 South Korean television series debuts 2011 South Korean television series endings Seoul Broadcasting System television dramas Sejong the Great Television series set in the Joseon dynasty Korean-language television shows South Korean historical television series Television shows based on South Korean novels Television series by IHQ (company) Television shows written by Kim Young-hyun