Iljimae - Episode 1

Iljimae starring Lee Joon Ki and Han Hyo Joo

Led by megastars Lee Joon Ki (My Girl, Time Between Dog and Wolf) and Han Hyo Joo (Spring Waltz, Shining Inheritance), this well-known drama was a smash hit in 2008, with ratings in the high 20%. Lee Joon Ki won two drama awards for his performance as the titular hero. A fusion historical drama (much like Hong Gil Dong) set during the Joseon dynasty, it tells the story of a figure of legend who rose from humble beginnings to become a hero who fought for the poor and robbed the rich - a man known only as Iljimae.

When his father is killed as a child, Yong takes to the streets and becomes a beggar, searching all the while for what remains of his family. When he finds his sister again, only to see her executed before his eyes, Yong embarks on a mission: revenge. Tattooing himself with the black emblem he saw on the sword of his father's murderer, he sets out on a life of crime. Relying on skills learned from his foster father, a small-time thief, he robs corrupt government officials and gives to the poor, leaving behind each time a painting of a plum tree branch.

Soon, the people embrace him, nicknaming him "Iljimae" for the branch he uses as his mark. When he stumbles across a conspiracy having to do with his father, Iljimae decides to use Eun Chae (Han Hyo Joo), the daughter of a government official, to get the information he needs. He doesn't plan on falling in love with her, however, and soon finds himself torn between his life-long mission to attain revenge and protect the poor versus his forbidden passion for a woman who knows him only as "Iljimae".

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