One hero, two dramas: winner remains to be seen

By Shin Hae-in
SEOUL, Jan. 7 (Yonhap) -- "Iljimae Returns," an upcoming prime time TV drama to
be aired by Korea's major broadcaster MBC, tells a lot just by its name.

Even before Part One of the series has hit the TV screens, skeptics are making
bets; The ancient Korean hero Iljimae will return to television, but will he be
as good as the one featured by competitor SBS last year?
South Korean dramas -- especially historical dramas -- have been enjoying high
popularity throughout Asia, raking in large profits.
Recently hit by a sweeping economic downturn and a lack of material alluring
enough for sophisticated viewers in and out of the country, Korean producers have
been turning to popular comics. Several comic book adaptations that aired last
year, including "Sikgaek" and "Tazza," have been sold in Japan and China, proving
strong story lines still sell.
Sensing potential Asia-wide appeal for the story of Iljimae, a widely known
Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) thief, producers competed hard to get the rights to
the original comic written and illustrated by the late Ko Woo-young.
While MBC succeeded in getting the rights, it failed to make the drama quickly
enough. Its rival SBS aired its own version of the heroic thief's story last
year. Barely six months have passed since.
"I cannot say I am not burdened," Hwang In-roi, director of the new series, said
at a production conference Wednesday. "But I should actually be grateful to the
SBS drama for bringing out the stubbornness in me. I clung to this piece with a
persistence I never knew I even had."
Iljimae is often called Korea's Robin Hood. The heroic thief, who stole goods
from corrupt officials and gave to the needy, is a controversial figure who some
claim is fictional, but others insist was a real person.
The only proof that Iljimae existed in real life is a short description in Joseon
scholar Cho Su-nam's book, in which he was called "a swift, righteous thief who
was born in the wrong era." The character became widely known to the public here
after cartoonist Ko released his comics in 1975.
While director Lee Yong-suk, who produced the SBS TV drama "Iljimae" last year,
thinks the hero is a fictional character, director Hwang believes he was real.
"Iljimae is a complex character that every director would want to talk about,"
Hwang told reporters. "The complexity made me believe he was real."
While the SBS drama portrayed the black-swathed thief to be a fun-loving and
mischievous character, Iljimae appears much more solemn and unsure of himself in
the upcoming series.
Abandoned by both his mother and father, a high-class intellectual, Iljimae
becomes an overseas orphan. Spending his youth in China and Japan, he returns to
his homeland vowing revenge on the hypocritical upper class. His life is
motivated primarily by vengeance after seeing his first love executed and being
betrayed by those he trusted as family members and companions.
The 24-part drama will air every Wednesday and Thursday from Jan. 21.
hayney@yna.co.kr
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