Dae Jang-Geum (played by Lee Young-Ae) is the central female character of the epic Korean historical drama Jewel In The Palace.
Throughout her story, Jang-Geum is a kind and caring friend to her loved ones, a hardworking and intelligent figure in the eyes of her mentors, and a bookworm who never stops learning. In other words, she’s perfect.
But is she also a perfectly written character? Let’s find out with our usual 10 questions.
WARNING: this analysis 1) contains spoilers 2) is humor-free
1. Does she have a story to tell besides romance?
Absolutely. As the titular character, Jang-Geum is the center of this story, which is about her journey to become an imperial chief cook and King Jungjong’s personal female physician. Her romance with Min Jeong-ho occupies only about 10% of the drama (maybe 5%…).
Yes… this is about the “hottest” it gets, people.
1/10
2. Does she make things happen or do things happen to her?
In the very beginning, Jang-Geum is a fun-loving child raised in an affectionate family. Her father and mother’s deaths later on are misfortunes that she could not control, leaving her no choice but to thrive on her own. Before her death, Jang-Geum’s mother urges her to promise to become an imperial cook in order to clear the former’s name.
Everything that happens afterwards, however, is entirely driven by Jang-Geum’s determination and love for the career path she’s chosen for herself.
During her training in cuisine, unlike the other students, Jang-Geum constantly looks for new methods to improve her cooking, for instance.
Min Jeong-Ho appears to save Jang-Geum’s lives many times, though it should be noted that he only helps her get through immediate dangers – rescuing her from a burning house or chasing soldiers, speaking up for her in the face of harsh criticism – the problems usually do not go away until Jang-Geum resolves them herself by her own extensive work.
During her first exile, Jang-Geum does not let this fate restrain her from learning and improving her skills and knowledge, successfully finding a way to grow Lima beans, which enables her to return to the palace.
While everything Jang-Geum does may not guarantee a solution or cause the tide to turn, it is her perseverance and refusal to accept her fate and her constant attempts to make use of the resources available to her that make her story.
2/10
3. Does she take action to accomplish her goals?
Definitely. Is elaboration even necessary? Fine… whatever.
Jang-Geum has a lot of goals, both goals that are given to her and the goals she sets for herself. Getting into the imperial kitchen, passing her cooking exams, re-entering the palace after exile. etc
And of course, the whole drama is about Jang-Geum putting her plans into action.
3/10
4. Does she have an interest?
Besides what she is obligated to do, either because of a promise or for survival, Jang-Geum expresses a strong interest in researching and reading. She never stops looking for ways to improve her works.
Doctors in training need to learn to diagnose by complexion, so the girl straight out decides she can just go and stare into people’s faces for practice.
Not only is this desire for knowledge Jang-Geum’s most admirable quality, it also drives her straight into trouble countless times. At a time where women’s status was considered inferior to men regardless of their accomplishment, most young women Jang-Geum’s age were expected to stick to the conventional and not have an opinion, no matter if you are a cook or a doctor, but the opposite is exactly what Jang-Geum does, striving to be better by reading and broadening her horizon.
4/10
5. Does she act in accordance with her beliefs
Absolutely. There’s a number of beliefs Jang-Geum holds that we can discuss.
First of all, she is an aspirational heroine who believes that knowledge and skills are ultimately the best power. And this belief is what guides Jang-Geum throughout the whole drama.
As an imperial cook, Jang-Geum puts her heart and soul into her creations, believing that the people who consume her food deserve as much, that a cook’s job is not only to make food, but also to maintain others’ well being. These are the beliefs Jang-Geum and her friends are raised to keep in mind, while many do not take this concept so seriously, Jang-Geum is one of those who do.
Later on, as Jang-Geum acquires her medical skills, she also finds new beliefs – as much as she wants to take revenge on Lady Choi and Choi Geum-young, Jang-Geum does not betray the ethics she’s been taught as a doctor to bring harm to them.
5/10
6. Does she develop throughout the story?
Maybe this was done on purpose by the writer in order to emphasize how Jang-Geum remains unchanged through all the hardship she goes through, but she has almost no development.
Jang-Geum starts out as a goal-oriented and motivated woman, and she ends her journey being exactly that – a goal-oriented and motivated woman who would never stop learning.
The method she chooses to resolve her trouble does not change, neither does her view towards the obstacles she faces as the story progresses.
And let me be clear here – this is NOT a bad thing. Jang-Geum staying the same, we believe, is just the overall theme of the drama. This is, after all, a story about the strength of mind and perseverance and their importance in your success.
One thing that is worth mentioning, however, is Jang-Geum’s thoughts towards Lady Choi and Choi Geum-Young in the end. Even though she still condemns them, Jang-Geum comes to understand the difficulty they face in their own family, the element that contributes to their ruthlessness.
Having said that, I don’t think this is enough to say that Jang-Geum has development.
5/10
7. Does she have a flaw?
Jang-Geum definitely has flaws, one of which being the quality that normally serves as an attribute to her character – optimism. Jang-Geum is overly optimistic on several occasions, believing that if she tries harder, stays up for longer, and reads more books, then she would naturally find a solution to her problems and win over the hearts of unfriendly people.
She is also fairly reckless – leaving her post and disappear for a while to find a cure for a fatal illness, insisting on the king drinking her medicine knowing that there’s a chance it might not work. All of these incidents bring consequences for her, of course. Jang-Geum is scolded, imprisoned on multiple occasions, and even has to fake her own death once in order to fix her mistakes.
6/10
8. Does she have meaningful relationships with other characters besides her love interest?
Lady Han, the best friend of Jang-Geum’s mother, is a mentor to Jang-Geum during their time as imperial cooks. The two go on to develop a mother-daughter relationship as time passes. Lady Han’s mentorship greatly influences Jang-Geum as the former helps her realize her naivete, teaches her patience, and instructs her to discipline herself.
What is notable is that Jang-Geum also has a significant impact on Lady Han. Lady Han was a rigid, overly disciplined and introverted person before she took on Jang-Geum, mostly because she is full of guilt about the death of Jang-Geum’s mother. This relationship with a daughter figure allows Lady Han to confront her own internal struggle and forgive herself.
Jang-Geum’s relationship with her work rival, Choi Geum-Young, plays a major role in this story as well. While they are enemies, they also shared an unforgettable childhood where they learned of and came to admire each other’s qualities.
Jang-Geum’s relationships with her multiple mentors while working as an imperial doctor are also the highlights of the drama. To name a few: Jang-Deok, the doctor from Jeju island; doctor Shin, Jang-Feum’s medical instructor.
Etc.
7/10
9. Is her character consistent?
Jang-Geum’s personality and beliefs are strictly consistent. She is optimistic, but not overly naive; bookish, but not inflexible; kind, but not stupidly so. She has a brain and we see her use it. Under no circumstances is Jang-Geum seen to act out of character because the plot needs her to.
When it is said that Jang-Geum is a great reader, we see her lie on a pile of books and read. When it’s said she is extremely creative, we see her wander around to look for methods/ingredients to improve her cooking. When it’s said she cares about her loved ones, we see multiple (well-acted) scenes where she bonds with them, considers their advice and takes care of them. When Jang-Geum sets a goal, we see her actually pursue it, with or without help. Her achievements do not come out of the blue, her skills aren’t just given to her by default. She acquires them gradually.
It’s really not a surprise how consistent Jang-Geum is since the writers of this drama obviously made a point to keep Jang-Geum the heart of the story. Most of the screen time is devoted to her journey and growth.
8/10
10. Can you define her character by her personality?
Jang-Geum is a hardworking, loyal, and open-minded woman who is full of aspiration and confidence in herself.
9/10
SCORE: 9/10
Conclusion:
Jang-Geum’s character, through the detailed script-writing, achieves exactly what the story initially wished to present about her. Her personality is seen through her relationship with other (also well written) female and male characters, and her consistent goals.
On a whole, Jewel In The Palace is a carefully written drama, centred around its extremely well rounded female lead.
Now let’s say a thing or two about the drama itself – one of the most inspiring elements of this drama is that it allows women to be ambitious. While most other dramas feature female characters who love a carefree life but are somehow loaded with responsibilities they want to escape from, the leading women of Jewel In The Palace all have interests and goals that they set for themselves. They are passionate about what they do and put their hearts into their work. Needless to say, very few (probably none) of them exist only to pursue a romance. Yes, they all want a happy family, they all wish to be with the men they love, but romance is neither their final destination nor the basis of their beliefs.