Dae Jang Geum (대장금), sometimes known as The Great Jang Geum, or Jewel In The Palace, is a 2003 TV Series produced by Korean TV channel MBC.

Based loosely on the historical figure depicted in the Annals of Joseon Dynasty, the show focuses on Jang-geum (played by Lee Young Ae), the first female royal physician of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. The main theme is her perseverance, as well as the portrayal of traditional Korean culture, including Korean royal court cuisine and medicine.

The story is set in Korea under the Joseon Dynasty, during the reigns of King Seongjong, King Yeonsan-gun (1494-1506) and King Jungjong (1506-1544). The story begins with the mother of young Yeonsan-gun being poisoned by a group of imperial guards under the order of the king.

After the incident, an imperial guard, Seo Cheon-su, who accompanied the group, returns to his home but suffers an accident on his way back. He is rescued by a Confucian hermit, who tells him that his life will revolve around three women: that he shall cause the death of the first woman, that he will save the life of the second woman but will also cause her to die, and a third woman who, finally, will cause his death, but who will be the savior of many lives. (It does not become clear until much later that the three women are Yeonsangun's mother, Jang-geum's mother, and lastly, Jang-geum herself.)

The inner stress from the incident eventually causes him to resign. On the other hand, Lady Park, a royal kitchen apprentice, witnesses a conspiracy against the queen mother by Lady Choi and is in turn indicted on false charges by the inner circle of senior kitchen staff, and ordered secretly executed per their internal procedures. She is saved by Lady Han, her best friend in the palace, and later again saved inadvertently by the now retired Seo. The two depart to live in secret in a remote village, posing as lower class peasants; they marry, and raise a very bright young daughter, Seo Jang-geum.

In the year 1504, Yeonsanggun (the King) orders a massive investigation into his mother's murder, and eventually finds Seo and his family, partly because of a mistake on the part of his child, Jang-geum. Seo is arrested, and presumably later executed. Jang-geum and her mother flee, but Jang-geum's mother is severely wounded by her enemies, and before her death she tells Jang-geum her last wish, should she choose to do so, is for her to become the head chef in the royal kitchen and record her case in the kitchen ladies' secret historical records book (to redress the wrong done to her honor).

Jang-geum goes through some adventures and manages to enter the palace. Through her courage, curiosity, talent, kind-heartedness and hard work, she helps Lady Han (her mother's best friend, which she does not discover until much later) to become the head chef in the palace. During her years in the palace, she is put under many ordeals and shunned because she is smarter than the other apprentices.

Jang-geum, however, does not become discouraged and continues cooking with the mindset that no matter what, the goal of cooking is to bring good health and happiness to the person who eats the food. Unfortunately, a conspiracy headed by Lady Choe, her niece Geum-yeong, as well as high-ranked officials and merchants who wanted the import market to remain a monopoly results in the exile of Lady Han and Jang-geum to Jeju Island.

Later, Jang-geum manages to return to the palace by learning Medicine from a medical lady on Jeju Island. In addition, she gets to know more about Ming Jung-ho and both falls in love with each other.

How will the story develop on from here? Watch Channel U, every Mondays to Fridays, at 10 p.m..

I don't know what this means in Korean too. =P

The map linking some of the main characters. Sorry it's in Chinese.

(Jang-geum, played by Lee Young Ae)