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Haechi as the judge of good and evil in SBS fusion sageuk

I feel like whenever we get an onscreen King Yeongjo, it’s very often in the context of his turbulent relationship with his son, Prince Sado, and its tragic conclusion. Which is why I’m quite excited to see upcoming SBS drama Haechi take a different angle and focus on his rise to power, which should prove just as interesting and dramatic, given the circumstances surrounding his ascension to the throne. The newly released teaser for the fusion sageuk gives us a glimpse of all our main players, including Jung Il-woo’s (High-End Crush, Cinderella and the Four Knights) Prince Yeoning – or future King Yeongjo.

Haechi, or haetae, as it is more commonly referred to in modern-day Korea, is a mythical creature in East Asian folklore and the Korean iteration describes it as having a lion’s body but with scales, and a horn on its head. For those of you who’ve been to Seoul, you’ll likely have seen its likeness as sculptures in front of various landmarks. They’re supposed to act as guardians, but also as “judges of good and evil,” as described by Lee Kyung-young (Room No. 9), who plays the head of the Noron political faction.

He goes on to say that this creature only exists in legends because judging good from evil is impossible in reality. We see a bloody Jung Moon-sung (Hymn of Death) as Milpoong-gun, a distant royal descendant who later becomes the figurehead of a Soron-led rebellion, and Park Hoon (Memories of the Alhambra) as the “king of the streets” Dal-moon. I’m so happy to see Park Hoon getting higher profile roles after going around haunting Hyun Bin so successfully over at tvN.

Lee Kyung-young continues and says that there are some “fools” that believe it is possible for the haechi’s purpose to exist in this world. The first of these fools is Go Ara (Ms. Hammurabi), who will play a damo, or female assistant, of the Saheonbu investigative bureau. She vows to catch a murderer who killed someone she knew. Next is Kwon Yul (Voice 2), whose character is of noble origin, and is currently preparing for the civil service exam in order to become an officer. He insists in the teaser that those who commit crimes must be punished proportionately, no matter who the perpetrator is (i.e. what status they are).

And, last but not least, is Jung Il-woo in the king’s robes. His chyron changes from “lowly prince” to “King Yeongjo” as he asks a question that sounds much more like a challenge to his enemies: “What will you do if I become the most king-like King in all of Joseon’s history?” Bold words coming from the son of a former water maid, who only ascended to the throne after the death of his older half-brother, and accusations of his involvement in his half-brother’s death plagued Yeongjo throughout his reign. It’s a little unfortunate, because Yeongjo is regarded as one of the most competent rulers among Joseon’s kings, but his accomplishments have largely been overshadowed by political intrigue and familial strife. Hopefully, we see a little more of the positive sides to Yeongjo’s capabilities in Haechi.

Haechi will air on SBS’s Monday-Tuesday slot starting February 11, to follow currently airing My Strange Hero.

Via Sports Chosun

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I don't usually watch sageuks, but the teaser was so stylish and compelling that I'm looking forward to it!

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I don't watch Sageuk, but I might just check it for Park Hoon. After watching him haunting Hyun-bin in the same bloodstained suit for 10+ episodes, I want to know more of his other works.

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Yes! He does such a compelling job haunting him and he is wonderful in the few scenes in which he has dialogue.
I'm interested in his character in the sageuk as the "king of the streets." I barely recognized him in the trailer from how different he looks!

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Lots of sageuks about to air! 2018 was basically a sageuk drought, and I'm a sageuk drinker, so I'm super happy about this.

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Me too! *high fives*

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I'm a bit paranoid about this writer after hwajung, but at the same time I have a soft spot for her because of yi san, so I'll be on the lookout for this. I've been missing sageuks so much. The crown prince sado story has been done to death so it'll be refreshing to see a drama focus on another side of yeongjo. Plus the rest of the cast looks so damn good- kim gap soo, han sang jin, im ho, and noh young hak have me all on board.

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I dropped Hwajung too..
Btw,,so this King Yeongjo is Dong Yi's son. Am I right?
This drama will be fun for me,at least for the sake of history learning..

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Yep, that's right. Dong Yi is based on Choi Suk bin, who was a water maid in real life before she became a concubine.

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I love that Ahjussi Lee Kyung Young..
And I love a good sageuk.

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I watched the drama Dong Yi and Yi San, so this drama will be set between those two dramas. I hope it's good.

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I’m excited ~ I need a good sageuk in my life, and I’m so happy there are good looking options like this coming out *sends thanks to the drama gods, my rain ceremony worked*

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The trailer is so intriguing. Is it that all these characters create the Haechi/guardian-judge or that they blow it apart? I think we're seeing it in reverse and they are destroying it.

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Time to get back to Kdramaland?? My last drama was HMSITS! 😁

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It looks like HAECHI/HATCH will air sometime in February. Since it is an SBS production it should be available on Kocowa and Viki. I recognized the distinctive voice of Lee Geung-young in the trailer. I am familiar with most of the leads except Jung Il-woo. I am definitely interested.
With THE CROWNED CLOWN being a tvN production, I am already concerned about the availability of subbed episodes. I am looking forward to TCC also.

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So happy that is Jung Il-woo comeback but...Go Ara...again... -.-

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