Jang Yeong-sil (Hangul: 장영실) is a 2016 South Korean historical drama television series starring Song Il-gook, Kim Yeong-cheol, Kim Sang-kyung and Park Sun-young. It replaced The Jingbirok: A Memoir of Imjin War and aired on KBS1 from January 2, 2016 to March 26, 2016 on Saturdays and Sundays at 21:40 (KST) for 24 episodes.
A television series talk about Jang Yeong-sil (Song Il-gook), a popular scientist of Joseon in XVth century. Born as a slave but with the remarkable talent and the profound passion for astronomy, he was known by King Sejong (Kim Sang-kyung) and was recommended to the court. Jang Yeong-sil had a lot of contributions for the science-technology of Joseon, he has left many great inventions such as the water clock, the sundial, the astronomical instruments, the rain gauge and also many research on weaponry.
Main characters
Song Il-gook as Jang Yeong-sil (or Jang Young-sil)
Jung Yun-seok as young Jang Yeong-sil
Kim Sang-kyung as Lee Do, later King Sejong (1397~1450)
Hong Hyun-taek as young Lee Do
Kim Yeong-cheol as Lee Bang-won, later King Taejong (1367~1422)
Park Sun-young as Princess Sohyun – King Taejong's daughter and Lee Do's older sister (fictional character)
Yoon Si-yeong as young Sohyun
Royal household
Kim Ki-hyeon as King Taejo
Lee Byung-wook as Prince Yangnyeong
Kim Bo-mi as Princess Gyeonghye
Han Jeong-woo as King Munjong
Choi Seung-hoon as young Lee Hyang (later King Munjong)
N/A as King Danjong
Go Young-bin as King Sejo
Court officials
Kim Do-hyun as Lee Cheon
Son Byong-ho as Ha Yeon
Jung Han-yong as Hwang Hui
Kim Byung-ki as Maeng Sa-seong
Lee Young-seok as Jo Mal-saeng
Han Ki-joong as Heo Jo
Kim Hyo-won as Jeong Cho
Kang Shin-goo as Jeong Heum-ji
Jeong Eui-gap as Jeong In-ji
Park Seung-gyu as Park Eun
Hwang Yi-gun as Kim Goo-nam
Lee Gun-myung as Park Yeon
Ahn Shin-woo as Choe Manri
Seoungwan people
Lee Byung-hoon as Lee Sun-ji
Seo Hyun-cheol as Choi Bok (fictional character)
Im Hyuk as Yoo Taek-sang
Min Joon-hyun as Jeon Bae-cheon (fictional character)
Lee Joo-hyun as Ji Gyeong-chan (fictional character)
Kang Ji-hoo as Seong Sa-gook (fictional character)
Dongraehyeon people
Lee Ji-hoon as Jang Hee-je (fictional character)
Kim Dan-yool as young Jang Hee-je
Kim Myeong-soo as Jang Seong-hwi – a Goryeo's scientist, minister and Jang Yeong-sil's father
Kim Ae-ran as Eun-wol – a Kisaeng and Jang Yeong-sil's mother (assumed character)
Son Ho-gyun as Jang Gi-bae (fictional character)
Kang Sung-jin as Seok-goo – Jang Yeong-sil's best friend (fictional character)
Lee Joon-seo as young Seok-goo
Kim Dae-jong as Kim Hak-joo – a noble and Jang Hee-je's friend (fictional character)
Lee Kye-in as young Kim Hak-joo
Hanyang people
Yoon Ah-reum as Eul-seon (Chinese: 乙善; Pinyin: Yǐ Shàn) – princess Sohyun's maid, later Seok-goo's wife
N/A as Oh Gu-san
Lee Geon as Han Nae-gwan
Kim Mi-ra as Uhm Sang-goong
Ming dynasty
Im Dong-jin as Joo Tae-kang (Chinese: 朱太江; Pinyin: Zhū Tàijiāng) – a Ming dynasty old prince (fictional character)
Park Gyu-ri as Joo Bu-ryeong (Chinese: 朱副伶; Pinyin: Zhū Fùlíng) – Tae-kang's daughter (fictional character)
Im Chul-hyung as Yoon Bong – a joseon person work as a eunuch in Ming dynasty
Kwon Bin as Zhengtong Emperor
Extended cast
Kwak Min-ho as Go Gil-soo – a trader between Joseon and Ming dynasty (fictional character)
Jo Sang-goo as Byun Dae-chi
Byun Joon-seok as Choi Yool
Jang Gwang as Jo Gwang
Hwang Chan-ho as Moo-san
Kim Min-hyuk as Oh Pil-gyo
N/A as Bae Kang-chool
Cha Ye-joon as Im Myung-deok
Oh Ji-hyuk as Yoo Cheol
Cha Bo-seong as Seong Sam-moon
Jang Joon-nyung
Jin Hyun-kwang
Lee Je-kwan
Park Dae-kyu
Jeon Jin-ki
Seol Chang-hee
Choi Dong-yeob
Kim Moon-sik
Shin Chi-young
Jo Shin-geun
Jo Yeon-ho
Choi Dong-ah
Hwang Bi-ho
Lee Ho-yool
Lee Joo-yeon
Nam Il-woo as Jang Seong-bae – Jang Seong-hwi's oldest brother
Chae Dong-hyun as Kim Beob-rae
Yeo Hoe-hyun as Na Ki-soon
Song Dae-han as little beggar 1
Song Min-guk as little beggar 2
Song Man-se as little beggar 3
In the table below, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
Episode 12, scheduled to be broadcast on the evening of February 7, was canceled because the South Korea was in emergency after the North Korea's missile launch (Kwangmyŏngsŏng-4) at 9:30 am in the same day.
