West Palace () is a 1995 South Korean television series starring Lee Young-ae, Kim Kyu-chul and Lee Bo-hee. It aired on KBS2 from July 3 to December 26, 1995, on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:40 for 52 episodes.
Synopsis The series is based on the reign of Gwanghaegun of Joseon, a conflict with his stepmother, Queen Inmok and scheming concubine, Kim Gae-shi.
Kim Gae-shi (portrayed by Lee Young-ae) is given Seung-eun () by the Crown Prince Gwanghae (portrayed by Kim Kyu-chul). Although Kim receives seung-eun, she already has a lover, Won-pyo (portrayed by Kim Bo-sung), an excellent swordsman, who enters the palace to stay by her side. However, Won-pyo dies after trying to protect her during the rebellion.
Meanwhile, Queen Inmok (portrayed by Lee Bo-hee) is a virtuous lady that fell victim to palace politics and is subsequently banished to the West Palace along with her children: Princess Jeongmyeong (portrayed by Park Rusia) and Grand Prince Yeongchang (portrayed by Choi Kang-won) after Gwanghaegun is bewitched by his scheming concubine, Kim, whose ambitions and insatiable thirst for power leads to her own downfall.
Cast Main Lee Young-ae as Court Lady Kim Gae-shi / Gae-dong Lee Jung-hu as young Kim Gae-shi Kim Kyu-chul as Yi Hon, Crown Prince Gwanghae, King Gwanghae Lee Bo-hee as Queen Dowager Inmok (Soseong) Park So-ra as young Queen Inmok
Supporting Royal Household Kim Sung-ok as Yi Yeon, King Seonjo Park Jin-hyung as Yi Jong, Prince Neungyang King Injo Lee Han-na as Royal Noble Consort In of the Suwon Kim clan Jang Seo-hee as Crown Princess Consort Yu, Queen Yoo Im Hyuk-joo as Yi Jin, Prince Imhae Park Nam-hyun as Yi Je, Prince Heungan Choi Kang-won as Yi Ui, Grand Prince Yeongchang Park Rusia as Princess Jeongmyeong Lee Jae-yun as Yi Bu, Prince Jeongwon, King Wonjong
Ministers and nobles Seo In-seok as Yi I-cheom Han In-soo as Kim Je-nam, Queen Inmok's father. Ahn Dae-yong as Kang Hong-rip Moon Chang-kil as Yoo Geun Kim Jong-kyul as Heo Gyun Su-hak as Ki Ja-hun Shin-goo as Yi Won-ik Park-woong as Jung Chul Park Chil-yong as Yi San-hae Tae Min-yung as Yoo Hee-boon Im Byung-ki as Park Seung-jong Kim Si-won as Yi Duk-hyung Park Yung-mok as Yi Hang-bok Lee Jung-woong as Yi Gwi Park Seung-kyu as Yi Gwal Kim Sung-chan as Kim Ja-jeom Kim Chang-bong as Yi Kwang-jung Kim Sung-won as Kim Yoo Lee Doo-sup as Kim Yook Sun Dong-hyuk as Choi Myung-kil Lee Han-wi as General Jang Soo Yoo Byung-han as Ha-sam Choi Dong-joon as Lee Duk-hyung Lee Kyung-yung as Park Ja-heung, Crown Prince Gwanghae's relative Heo Hyun-ho as Yi Soo, Prince Gwichun Kang In-duk as Seo Yang-kap Kim Kyung-eung as Shim Woo-yung Seo Yung-jin as Park Eung-su Ahn Gwang-jin as Park Chi-ui Kim Jung-hoon as Im Sook-yung Park Kun-shik as Han Hee-kil Lee Han-seung as Yun Bang Lee Yong-jin as Kwon Pil Jo Jae-hoon as Jung Hang Jin Woon-sung as Yi Jung-pyo Ki Jung-soo as Han Hyo-soon Park Yong-shik as Yi Heung-rip Heo Jung-kyu as Yi Ahn-jin Jang Ki-yong as Kim Kyung-su Park Hae-sang as Shin Kyung-jin Sun Dong-hyuk as Choi Myung-kil Kim Dong-wan as Choi Kwon Choi Hun-chul as Uhm Il-goe Lee Chun-shik as Choon Bo Kim Bo-sung as Won-pyo Jung Tae-woo as young Won-pyo Seo Sang-ik as Jeong In-hong Park Jung-woong as Eo-ui
Palace maids and eunuchs Kim In-moon as Eunuch Ham Lee Jong-man as Eunuch Han Kim Eul-dong as Court Lady Uhm Jang Jung-hee as Court Lady Ji Kim Min-hee as Maid Eum-duk
Other families Yang Geum-seok as Lady Kang, Kim Gae-shi's mother. Uhm Yoo-shin as Lady No, Kim Je-nam's wife. Park Joon-geum as Lady Lee, Lee Yi-cheom's wife. Kim Young-ok as Lady Ryu, Lee Yi-cheom's mother. Ko Hee-joon as Won-pyo's adoptive father.
Extended cast Park Byung-ho as a missionary ambassador Park Yong-gi as a Buddhist monk Lee Hyo-jung Seo Yung-ae Moon Su-in Yoo Byung-hwan Kwon Oh-hyun
Production It was Lee Young-ae and Choi Dong-joon first appearance in a historical drama. The series emphasized Kim Gae-shi's role as Gwanghae's concubine so the production team added a fictional character, Won-pyo, who is Lady Kim's lover, to promote a love conflict.
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