At long last!
“Saimdang” (사임당), the long-awaited beautiful historical (sageuk) K-Drama starring Song Seung Heon (송승헌) and Lee Young Ae (이영애), is set to premiere in Malaysia on 26th January 2017, ringing in the new year on a perfect note.
The drama follows an intertwined journey of Jiyun (played by Lee Young Ae), a university lecturer of Korean art in the present, and Shin Saimdang herself in the past comes alive in this brand new series. After Jiyun stumbles upon the diary of historical figure Shin Saimdang, she becomes intrigued by a mysterious portrait that she finds inside of it. Looking to discover the history behind the picture, she takes it upon herself to locate the real portrait and through this, Saimdang’s love and life story awakens.
We last spoke to Lee Young Ae in December 2015 when we were in Gangwon, South Korea with our friends from Oh!K for the press conference and press day of “Saimdang”. Now that “Saimdang” has finally gotten its official premiere date, we caught up with the actress for a quick update on the K-Drama.
Here’s what went down:
In your own words, can you give us a brief synopsis of the story and what viewers can expect from the first episode?
The drama “Saimdang” revolves around a lady who lived 500 years ago and was a famous artist whose pseudonym was Saimdang. There are some fictitious elements that are far from true which have been added on to the storyline, this makes it more interesting. In the show, I play a dual role transcending time between past and present. It projects a new type of fantasy love story that cuts across time. This drama showcases various elements including art, music and more. Saimdang’s first love, Lee Gyum is played by Mr. Song Seung Heon, who is very much loved by viewers. The fantasy between Saimdang and Lee Gyum was filmed featuring “hanbok”, or Koran traditional costume, with Firenze as background. So, you will be able to see some picturesque scenes and stories in this drama.
Can you share a memorable moment from shooting the series?
“Saimdang” was filmed for a duration of approximately one year. Due to that, we managed to capture scenes of all four seasons – Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. We did our best to film this drama and I hope that viewers will not miss out on any of the episodes. In the first episode, there is a picturesque scene filmed in Firenze, Italy. This will allow viewers to see the harmony between East and West. There are elements of fantasy that transcend time between past and present which I think is quite interesting.
What kind of dramas would you like to work on in the future?
Since I am married now, I want to work on projects that can benefit many people as opposed to programs that are sensationalised or have elements of cruelty. I want to engage with viewers through heartwarming dramas, movies, documentaries or new programs.
What can you tell us about your upcoming plans for 2017?
My kids will be starting school and I want to focus more on my duties as a mom and wife. This is the only plan I have. As an actress, I hope that the drama Saimdang will be well-received. I want to show new aspects of me and I want to meet and engage with my audience through different channels.
Is there anything you’d like to say to your fans here in Malaysia?
Hello, this is Lee Young Ae. I am meeting you for the first time in a long time, since the ending of the drama “Jewel in the Palace” (대장금). If there are fans who have been waiting for my comeback, I would like to express my sincere gratitude from the bottom of my heart. To meet your expectations, I have worked really hard for almost one year to film “Saimdang” with Mr. Song Seung Heon. It is an interesting drama and is really fun to watch. So, please look forward to it!
“Saimdang” premieres with double episodes exclusively on Oh!K (Astro Ch 394) on 26th January 2017 (Thursday) at 9pm, same time as Korea. New episodes air every Wednesday and Thursday at 9pm.
For more information, hit up Oh!K’s website.
