As you may have seen from our Instagram posts, over the weekend, we were invited by our friends from Oh!K channel to attend the press conference and press day for upcoming Korean drama, “Saimdang” (The Herstory).
In case you haven’t caught up with Korean drama news as of late, “Saimdang” is based on an actual person, Shin Saimdang.
She lived some 500 years ago and was a Korean artist, writer, calligraphist, noted poet, and she appears on the current South Korean 50,000 won bill. She’s also the mother of the Korean Confucian scholar Yulgok (the face of the 5,000 won bill) and is often regarded as a model of Confucian ideals.
Her respectful nickname was Eojin Eomeoni (어진 어머니; “Wise Mother”).
Korea’s “대장금” (“Jewel in the Palace”) Lee Young-Ae (이영애) will return to TV for the first time in a decade to play 2 characters in the drama series – a university lecturer of Korean art in the present day named Seo Ji-Yoon and 16th century historical figure Shin Saimdang. As Seo Ji-Yoon, Lee Young-Ae discovers the diary Shin Saimdang, unravelling the secrets of a mysterious portrait.
“Autumn in My Heart” (가을동화) star Song Seung-Heon (송승헌) will play a fictional character who is Shin Saimdang’s love interest, Lee Gyeom. The story will shift back and forth between the present and the Joseon era.
Held in Seamarq Hotel, South Korea on 30th November (Monday), the press conference saw the attendance of both Lee Young-Ae and Song Seung-Heon, as well as hundreds of guests and members of the media from around the region.
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During the press conference, journalists jumped at the opportunity to ask Lee Young-Ae about her decision to make a comeback after 12 whole years. Now a mother (of twins) herself, Lee Young-Ae said, “After becoming a mother, my perception of many things in life has deepened and widened. I can relate to Shin Saimdang, who went on the same journey as a mother and a wife. She was also a gifted painter and a working mother like myself. I feel that working mothers, whether in the past or present, will face the same challenges.”
“I hope that this new Korean drama will echo in women’s hearts not just in Korea but also in Asia” she added.
Song Seung-Heon, who was partially responsible for the the K-Entertainment explosion aka “Hallyu” with his breakthrough role in “Autumn in My Heart” in 2000, had only high praises for his “Saimdang” leading lady.
He openly expressed his admiration and adoration for Lee Young-Ae, whom he would repeatedly and respectfully address as his “sunbaenim”. “I never thought that I’d ever get to work with Lee Young-Ae sunbaenim, and every day feels amazing and like a dream. I remember being so nervous on my first day of filming that I made mistakes,” he confessed.
“My character a genius, a talented and gifted painter. He’s also very good at dancing and music on top of painting – quite the opposite of what I am in real life. In a very short period of time, I had to prepare for his drama. I’m not a genius, but I’m trying my best to depict my interpretation of this character. I’m learning every day from my cast members,” he humbly added.
For more pictures from the press conference, check out the gallery below:
*Pictures courtesy of Group Eight.
“Saimdang” (The Herstory) is currently still in production and is expected to air sometime in the first half of next year.
For more information, hit up Oh!K’s website.
