'The Secret of Celebrity Soldiers' delves into King Sukjong's chronic illnesses
At 8:30 p.m. on the 17th, KBS2's 'The Secret of Celebrity Soldiers' episode 23 will thoroughly explore the love triangle involving King Sukjong and two women, as well as the diseases that plagued him.
Jang Hee-bin, who was noted for her beauty to the extent that the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, which has few records about women's appearances, described her as 'quite beautiful.' King Sukjong, who was conflicted between such Jang Hee-bin and his first wife Queen Injong, is remembered for the most glamorous scandal in Joseon history, but in reality, he was an absolute monarch who wielded his authority more fiercely than the hem of a woman's dress.
The background surrounding Jang Hee-bin's departure from and return to the palace involved an unprecedented epidemic that had spread throughout Joseon, which even led to the death of Queen Myeongseong. The broadcast will continue with a medical interpretation of the identity of this illness.
After entering the palace, the relationship between Jang Hee-bin and King Sukjong deepened, and Jang Hee-bin eventually sought help from Queen Injong, saying, 'The king keeps teasing me.' Queen Injong was shocked, and ultimately, King Sukjong made the unprecedented decision to depose the queen. However, the actions that followed left an unprecedented ripple in Joseon's history, causing Miyeon and Jang Doyoun to be unable to hide their shock and anger. What shocking choice did he make?
The circumstances that forced King Sukjong to rely on two women will also be revealed. Becoming king at the age of 14, he grew up watching his father (King Hyeonjong) being manipulated by his subjects, vowing not to let that happen to him. Therefore, he confronted the greatest scholar of Joseon, Song Si-yeol, head-on as soon as he ascended the throne. Special guest Seo Kyung-seok humorously compared this by saying, 'It was like a middle school student challenging a chair professor.'
Additionally, the appearance of him wavering between the two women is interpreted as a political calculation, leading Lee Chan-won to change his stance on King Sukjong 180 degrees, saying, 'Hearing this, it seems pitiful.' The love triangle of King Sukjong, which seemed like a Joseon version of 'Love and War,' hides what stories?
This broadcast will also focus on the health status of King Sukjong, who ranks second in the duration of reign among Joseon kings and lived until the age of 60. During his long reign, he suffered from more than ten illnesses and was literally the epitome of 'living with illness.' Among them, the representative ailment that long plagued King Sukjong was the 'boil,' which took the lives of numerous kings. There are records stating that he received treatment from his officials while removing his royal attire during his duties to treat a boil that developed in his groin.
In particular, Lee Nak-jun, the original writer of 'The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call,' pointed out the area where boils repeatedly occurred, raising the possibility that the ailment in that area may have been the cause of King Sukjong's death. Jang Doyoun, contrary to her delicate image, mentioned that King Sukjong was known for having a temper, being referred to as 'the king with the worst temper' in Joseon, and speculated that his anger may have been a key factor in undermining his health. Besides boils and anger, King Sukjong suffered from various symptoms in his later years, including vision impairment, lower abdominal pain, and hematuria. What was the true identity of the illness that troubled him until the end?
In this broadcast, comedian Seo Kyung-seok, known as 'the icon of certification,' will appear as a storyteller about history. In February, he became the first celebrity to score perfect marks on the Korean History Certification Test and humbly stated, 'I was lucky,' while also introducing himself as 'the god of exams,' causing laughter. The broadcast will reveal his memorization tips for the test, and after hearing them, Lee Chan-won expressed surprise, saying, 'I think I could tell you the same thing ten years from now.'
From the aspect of an absolute monarch who led three changes of government to a sage king who modeled for his subjects and bowed to the Qing Dynasty for the sake of the people, KBS2's 'The Secret of Celebrity Soldiers' Episode 23 'Sukjong Edition' will air at 8:30 p.m. on the 17th.
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