The 2010 TV series “Dong-Yi” traces the turbulent life of Lady Choi Sook-bin, a historical figure from the late 17th century. She came from the servant class, but became a royal concubine of King Suk-jong, the 19th monarch of the Joseon Dynasty, and gave birth to a prince who later became King Young-jo, one of the most honorable rulers of the Joseon kingdom. She led truly a dramatic life, rising from the lowest class to work her way to the top in a society dominated by strict hierarchy, and she raised a great king. There were many period dramas featuring Lady Jang Hee-bin, King Suk-jong’s other concubine and Lady Choi’s rival. In fact, Lady Jang is much more famous than Lady Choi—much more notorious, to be exact—as an ambitious woman who won the king’s heart and finally became queen. But she was later stripped of the highest rank and was executed due to her scheme to curse the lawful queen. Many costume dramas are focused on the rivalry between Lady Jang and the lawful queen, with the story of Lady Choi inserted as a subplot. But “Dong-Yi” presents a different take on this well-known story, centering on Lady Choi’s side of the tale.

The historical drama revolves around Dong-Yi, a cheerful and outgoing girl who happens to enter the palace as a servant, after her father and brother were both killed for crimes they never committed. But her palace life doesn’t last long as she is framed by Lady Jang Hee-bin, the most influential concubine of the king who later becomes queen. Fortunately, Dong-Yi is noticed by the king and returns to the palace as another consort of the king. As she has a son, she is entangled in an intense battle against the queen, Lady Jang. The queen tries so hard to get rid of Dong-yi and her son, so that her own son could succeed the throne. Lady Jang seemed to win this battle when she became queen and the crown was passed to her son. But it turns out the ultimate winner is Lady Choi, as Lady Jang was forced to drink poison as a death penalty and her son died without leaving an heir. Lady Choi’s son ascended the throne eventually to rule the nation for 52 years, becoming the longest reigning king in Joseon history.

While historians offer different interpretations of Lady Choi, the 60-episode epic drama describes her as a wise and courageous woman who overcame all sorts of hardships and rose to power. She is also depicted as an innovative figure who is willing to negotiate and listen to people in order to make righteous decisions and seek a better world.

“Dong-Yi” is another period drama of producer Lee Byung-hoon, who established his name through other hit series, including the highly successful “Jewel in the Palace.” Actress Han Hyo-joo, who played the heroine in the TV soap, was chosen as one of the goodwill ambassadors for the G20 Summit in Seoul in November 2010, along with figure skating champion Kim Yu-na and football star Park Ji-sung.