''Jumong'' (; lit. "The Book of the Three Hans: The Chapter of Jumong") is a

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 historical series that aired on MBC from 2006 to 2007 as the network's 45th anniversary special. Originally scheduled for 60 episodes, MBC extended it to 81 because of its popularity. The series examines the life of

Jumong Chumo (Hangul: 추모, Hanja: 鄒牟), posthumously Chumo the Holy (Hangul: 추모성왕, Hanja: 鄒牟聖王), was the founding monarch of the kingdom of Goguryeo, and was worshipped as a god-king by the people of Goguryeo and Goryeo. ''Chumo ...

, founder of the kingdom of

Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC–668 AD) ( ) also called Goryeo (), was a Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of Northeast China. At its peak of power, Goguryeo controlled mos ...

. The fantastic elements surrounding the original Jumong legend (such as those concerning his birth) have been replaced with events more grounded in reality. ''Jumong'' is considered part of the Korean Wave (''Hallyu''), with viewer ratings in

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

exceeding 80 percent.

Plot

Following the

conquest Conquest is the act of military subjugation of an enemy by force of arms. Military history provides many examples of conquest: the Roman conquest of Britain, the Mauryan conquest of Afghanistan and of vast areas of the Indian subcontinent, ...

of Gojoseon by Han China in 108 BCE, the surviving tribes and city-states of

Manchuria Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym " Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East (Outer M ...

and the northern

Korean Peninsula Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic ...

are harshly subjugated as tributaries to the Han, who are portrayed as ruling with an iron fist from the Four Commanderies. Haemosu, the leader of the local resistance in the form of the Damul Army, covertly teams up with Prince Geumwa of

Buyeo Buyeo or Puyŏ ( Korean: 부여; Korean pronunciation: u.jʌ or 扶餘 ''Fúyú''), also rendered as Fuyu, was an ancient kingdom that was centered in northern Manchuria in modern-day northeast China. It is sometimes considered a Korea ...

to defend and rescue Gojoseon refugees throughout the land. After being injured in a battle, Haemosu is rescued by Lady Yuhwa of the Habaek tribe (to whom Geumwa has taken a fancy), and they fall in love. Haemosu is subsequently ambushed and captured by Han forces (and after falling off a cliff is presumed dead by the outside world), and Lady Yuhwa is forced to seek shelter in Buyeo, where she becomes Geumwa's concubine and gives birth to a son,

. They maintain that Geumwa is Jumong's father, when in fact Haemosu is his father. Twenty years later, the young Jumong is a weak and cowardly prince overshadowed and scorned by his elder "half-brothers"

Daeso Hae Daeso (; 60 BCE – 22 AD, r. 7 BCE – 22 AD) was the third and last ruler of the ancient Korean kingdom Dongbuyeo. Early life Daeso was the first son of King Geumwa, and the grandson of Dongbuyeo's founder and first ruler, Hae Buru. As th ...

and Youngpo, who are vying for inheritance of the Buyeo throne from their father (the now-King Geumwa). Because they believe Jumong is Geumwa's son, they assume that he has a justifiable claim to the throne, and their mother's hatred of Lady Yuhwa reinforces a feud between the half-brothers who aren't really brothers at all. This culminates in an assassination attempt by his brothers, setting in motion a sequence of events that leads to Jumong leaving the palace and, by a twist of fate, encounters his father, the now-elderly and blind Haemosu. Jumong becomes skilled in combat under Haemosu's covert tutelage, but is unaware of their father-son relationship. At the same time, Jumong forms a close relationship with Lady Soseono of the Gyeru trading clan of Jolbon. Following Haemosu's assassination by Daeso and Youngpo, Jumong learns the truth and vows to avenge his father and drive out the Han. He returns to Geumwa and leads the Buyeo army in a campaign against the Lintun and Zhenfan Commanderies, but is reported missing in action and presumed dead following an injury in battle. Subsequently, Daeso seizes power in Buyeo by colluding with Xuantu Commandery and forces Soseono to be his wife. In desperation, Soseono weds her trading partner Wootae (not knowing Jumong is still alive). Jumong, however, is rescued by the Hanbaek tribe and nursed back to health by Lady Yesoya, whom he weds. They return to Buyeo and Jumong feigns servitude to Daeso, thereby earning his trust. With Daeso's guard down, Jumong and his men manage to intercept and lead a large group of Gojoseon refugees into the wilds of Mount Bongye, where they establish a fortress and re-form the Damul Army, against Daeso's wishes, who holds Lady Yuhwa and a pregnant Yesoya hostage in the palace. After a solar eclipse, Geumwa regains the power with the help of the Prime Minister. He tries to convince Jumong to come back to palace and disband the Damul Army as part of the conditions given by the Prime minister in exchange for his reinstatement. Jumong refuses the offer and the Prime Minister tries to eliminate him and his men. Over the next three years, the Damul Army grows and begins uniting various local tribes, to the discomfort of Buyeo and Han. Following Wootae's death in battle, Jumong and Soseono form an alliance and unite the five clans of Jolbon and the Damul Army into a single powerful entity, which succeeds in conquering the Xuantu Commandery and establishing the Kingdom of Goguryeo. When Yesoya and

Yuri Yuri may refer to: People and fictional characters Given name *Yuri (Slavic name), the Slavic masculine form of the given name George, including a list of people with the given name Yuri, Yury, etc. * Yuri (Japanese name), also Yūri, feminine Ja ...

are reported missing from Buyeo (and presumed dead), a grieving Jumong weds Soseono and they become King and Queen of the new nation. After ruling Goguryeo for fifteen years, Jumong succeeds in reuniting with Yesoya and Yuri (who had been living in exile after escaping from the palace). Following Geumwa's assassination by Han mercenaries, the newly-crowned King Daeso forms an alliance with Jumong, and the combined armies of Goguryeo and Buyeo succeed in conquering Liaodong Commandery with utter annihilation of the Han army in Manchuria. With Jumong's lifelong mission finally complete and in order to prevent internal strife due to Yuri's return, Soseono departs from Goguryeo and heads south with the pro-Jolbon faction and her teenage sons Biryu and Onjo, who subsequently becomes the founder of the Kingdom of Baekje on the Korean Peninsula. Buyeo eventually collapses following the battlefield death of Daeso at the hands of Jumong's grandson Muhyul. Jumong continues battling against Han China to consolidate his realm, and dies at the age of 40 after passing the crown of Goguryeo to Yuri.

Cast

Song Il-kook Song Il-kook (; born 1 October 1971) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his role in the 2006 hit drama series ''Jumong'' as the titular character. Early life and education Song is the grandson of politician Kim Du-han, great grandso ...

* Han Hye-jin as Soseono * Kim Seung-soo as Prince Daeso *

Jun Kwang-ryul Jun Kwang-ryul () is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in the television series '' Hur Jun'', ''Jumong'' and '' King of Baking, Kim Takgu''. Filmography Television series *''Jinxed at First'' (2022) *'' Kingmaker: The Chan ...

as King Geumwa * Oh Yeon-soo as Lady Yuhwa *

Kyeon Mi-ri Kyeon Mi-ri (born January 27, 1965) is a South Korean actress and singer. She is best known for her role as the antagonist Lady Choi in the hit period drama ''Dae Jang Geum'' (2003). Career Kyeon Mi-ri graduated from Seoul Traditional Arts H ...

as Queen Wonhu * Song Ji-hyo as Ye So-ya *Park Tam-hee as Yang Seo-ran * Ahn Yong-joon as

** Jung Yoon-seok as young Yuri * Kim Byung-ki as Yeon Ta-bal * Jin Hee-kyung as High Priestess Yeo Mi-eul *

Lee Jae-yong Lee Jae-yong (; born 23 June 1968), known professionally in the West as Jay Y. Lee, is a South Korean business magnate and the chairman of Samsung Electronics. He is the only son of Hong Ra-hee and Lee Kun-hee, chairman of Samsung until his de ...

as Prime Minister Bu Deuk-bul *

Huh Joon-ho Huh Joon-ho (, born April 14, 1964) is a South Korean actor. His name was previously officially romanized as Hur Joon-ho and is sometimes romanized unofficially as Heo Joon-ho. His father was Heo Jang-kang, a well-known Korean actor. Huh bega ...

as Hae Mosu *

Won Ki-joon Won Ki-joon (born February 12, 1974) is a South Korean actor. He starred in television dramas such as ''Jumong'' (2006), ''Gourmet'' (2008), and ''Everybody Say Kimchi ''Everybody Say Kimchi'' () is a 2014 South Korean morning comedy-drama se ...

as Prince Youngpo * Bae Soo-bin as Sa-yong *

Kang Eun-tak Kang Eun-tak (born Shin Seul-gi on August 16, 1982) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in the television series '' Land of Gold'' (2014), '' Apgujeong Midnight Sun'' (2014–2015), and '' Bubbly Lovely'' (2016–2017 ...

as Chan-soo *Im So-yeong as Bu-young *Yoon Dong-hwan as Yang-jung *Oh Uk-chul as Lord Hwang *Yeo Ho-min as Oh-i *Ahn Jeong-hoon as Ma-ri *Im Dae-ho as Hyeop-bo *

Lee Kye-in Lee Kye-in (born May 16, 1952) is a South Korean actor. Among his notable television series are ''Chief Inspector'' (1972-1989), ''Country Diaries'' (1980-2002), '' Emperor Wang Gun'' (2000-2002), and ''Jumong Chumo (Hangul: 추모, Hanja: ...

as Mo Pal-mo *Seo Beom-sik as Moo-gol *Kim Min-chan as Mook-geo *Cha Kwang-soo as Jae-sa *Park Kyung-hwan as Bu Beon-no *Park Nam-hyeon as Na-ru *Jeong Ho-bin as

Wutae , is a figure in the founding legends of the kingdom of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was an illegitimate son or grandchild of the King of Dongbuyeo, Hae Buru (解夫婁). Background Wutae married So Seo-no, the daughter of the ...

*Lee Jae-suk as Biryu *

Kim Seok Kim Seok (born 9 September 1991) is a South Korean football player who plays as a forward. Career He dropped out of school and moved to France in 2001. He joined the FC Metz's youth academy at the age of ten and played until 2005 summer. Fro ...

as Onjo *Lee Won-jae as Do-chi *Kwon Yong-woon as Moo-song *Oh Ji-young as Jong-go *Jo Myung-jin as Mu-duk *Lee Seung-ah as Chun-rang *Han Hee-jin as In-rang *Kim Nan-hee as Ji-rang *Min Ji-young as courtesan *Kim Ho-young as Ma-ga *Kim Won-suk as Song-joo *Son Ho-kyoon as Heuk-chi *No Hee-ji as So-ryeong *Jeong Han-heon as Kye-pil *Jang Hyo-jin as Baek Sun-in *Hwang Bum-sik as Jin-yong *Park Jong-kwan as Song-yang *Bae Do-hwan as Tae Ma-jin *Baek Na-young as Yeon Chae-ryeong *Kim Jin-ho as Yang-tak *Ha Yong-jin as Dong-sun *Yoon Seo-hyun as Han-dang *Lee Hwan as Sang-chun *Han Kyung-sun as court lady *Yoo Hee-jung as court lady *Song Gui-hun as Bul-gae *Kwon Eun-ha as Mauryeong *Kang Moon-hee as Hyun-moo *Dan So-young as Yoo-sung *Jeon Ha-eun as Byeo Ri-ha *Lee Sung as Hae Byeol-chan *Hong Soon-chang as Jin Joong-moon *Lee Chang-hwan as head of a tribe * Park Geun-hyung as King Hae Buru *Shin Joon-young as Bae-mang *Han In-su as head of a tribe *Kim Yong-hee as Sul-tak *Oh Seung-yun as Chun-doong *Son Sun-geun as Man-ho *Lee Won-yong as fortune-teller *Moon Hee-won as former Governor-general *Yun Yong-hyeon as Boo Wiyeom *Jang Hee-woong as Ha Hoo-chun *Samuel Kang as warrior

Production

''Jumong'' was filmed on location at Yongin Daejanggeum Park in Cheoin District,

Yongin Yongin () is a city in the Seoul Capital Area, the largest in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. With a population over 1 million, the city has developed rapidly since the 21st century, recording the highest population growth of any city in the cou ...

, Gyeonggi Province, where other period dramas (such as '' Dong Yi'', ''

Moon Embracing the Sun ''Moon Embracing the Sun'' (, also known as ''The Moon that Embraces the Sun'' or ''The Sun and the Moon'') is a 2012 South Korean television drama series, starring Kim Soo-hyun, Han Ga-in, Jung Il-woo, and Kim Min-seo. It aired on MBC from ...

'' and ''

Queen Seondeok Queen Seondeok of Silla ( ko, 선덕여왕 ; 595~610 – 17 February 647/January 8, Lunar Calendar) reigned as Queen Regnant of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, from 632 to 647. She was Silla's twenty-seventh ruler, and its first re ...

'') were also filmed.

Ratings

''Jumong'' received the highest viewership ratings of all the Korean dramas that aired in 2006.

Awards and nominations

International broadcast

Broadcast rights for ''Jumong'' were sold to

( Channel 3),

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...

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(

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(

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(

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( VTV1),

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( Mediacorp Channel U),

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( Channel 3),

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(

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(

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(

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(

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( Myawaddy TV &

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), and

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

(

Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation The Sri Lanka Rūpavāhinī Corporation ( si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා රූපවාහිනී සංස්ථාව; ta, இலங்கை ரூபவாகினி கூட்டுத்தாபனம்), also known as Jathika R ...

). According to

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the most popular episodes of ''Jumong'' attracted over 90% of Iranian audience (compared to 40% in South Korea), propelling its lead actor Song Il-gook to superstar status in Iran.

Hong Kong broadcast controversy

Asia Television Asia Television Limited (, also known as ATV) is a digital media and broadcasting company in Hong Kong. Established as the first television service in Hong Kong as Rediffusion Television () on 29 May 1957, it shifted to terrestrial television ...

bought the Hong Kong broadcast rights; however, controversy surrounding its translation escalated debate about ATV's editorial independence in news and drama. The controversy primarily surrounded the cutting of certain segments, the alternative translation of place names and the alternative of a character's occupation. The changing of the word "nation" (in reference to

) to "tribe" and the translation of the Han Dynasty as the "heavenly dynasty" has generated controversy about the station's editorial independence. This is related to controversies involving the governments of China and South Korea over the version of history of Goguryeo.

References

External links

''Jumong'' official MBC website

at MBC Global Media * * {{Korea Drama Awards Best Drama MBC TV television dramas 2006 South Korean television series debuts 2007 South Korean television series endings Korean-language television shows Television series set in Goguryeo South Korean historical television series South Korean action television series Television series by Chorokbaem Media Television shows written by Choi Wan-kyu Censorship in Hong Kong Television controversies in China