# The Tale of Lady Ok

The Tale of Lady Ok (Korean: 옥씨부인전) is a 2024–2025 South Korean television series starring Lim Ji-yeon, Choo Young-woo, Yeonwoo and Kim Jae-won. It aired on JTBC on November 30, 2024, to January 26, 2025, every Saturday and Sunday at 22:30 (KST). It is also available for streaming on Viu and Kocowa in selected regions.

## Synopsis

Set in the Joseon period, the series is about the journey to success of a female slave named Goo Deok, whose name "Ok Tae-young", status, and even her husband were fake.
Goo Deok is a servant who escapes slavery and later becomes a legal expert, assuming the name of "Ok Tae-young". Even in difficult situations, she does not hesitate to help people. However, she has a secret. Her secret is that her name, husband, and her status are all fake. She happens to meet Cheon Seung-hwi. He is a story-teller and travels all around the country, reciting stories to people. He happens to meet "Ok Tae-young" and falls in love with her at first sight.

## Cast
### Main

* Lim Ji-yeon as "Ok Tae-young" / Goo Deok
    A legal expert in Joseon. She is loved by everyone because she helps others even in difficult situations. However, her assumed name, identity, and even her husband are all fake.
* Choo Young-woo as Song Seo-in / Cheon Seung-hwi / Sung Yoon-gyeom
       1. Seung-hwi – A story-teller who covers his face with a veil and travels around the country reciting novels to people. He falls in love with "Ok Tae-young" at first sight when he meets her by chance and supports her wholeheartedly even after he finds out about her true identity.
       2. Yoon-gyeom – Do-gyeom's older brother and later husband of "Ok Tae-young" who strongly resembles Seung-hwi.
* Yeonwoo as Cha Mi-ryeong / Baek Sun-hee
** Choi Da-hye as young Baek Sun-hee
    An eager apprentice learning from "Ok Tae-young", and Lord Cha Cheon-sik and Lady Hong's daughter, assuming the name "Cha Mi-ryeong". "Cha Mi-ryeong" is characterized by her kindness and boldness, particularly in helping those in need, but she harbors a secret she can not reveal to anyone.
* Kim Jae-won as Sung Do-gyeom
    A beloved figure in the village. Sung Do-gyeom holds great respect for "Ok Tae-young" who has been a pillar of support since his childhood.

### Supporting

* Kim Mi-sook as Mrs. Han
    The real Ok Tae-young's grandmother.
* Lee Jae-won [ko] as Man Seok
    Seung-hwi's servant and best friend.
* Kim Jae-hwa as Mak Sim
    The Ok family's servant and "Tae-young"'s devoted admirer.
* Yoon Seo-ah as Baek Yi
    Mak Sim's daughter and "Tae-young"'s servant and best friend. (eps. 1–3)
* Oh Dae-hwan as Ddokki
    A male servant of the OK family who likes Mak Sim.
* Yoon Ji-hye as Madam Kim
    The head of Yuhyangso (Korean: 유향소, translated as Mother's Sanctuary).
* Lee Seo-hwan as Kim Nak-soo
    A rich but greedy nobleman and Goo Deok's villainous master.
* Ha Yul-ri as Kim So-hye
    Kim Nak-soo's daughter who often abuses Goo-deok and the other servants, and sought revenge against Goo-deok after she ran away. She was later made a government slave for her criminal association with Park Jun-gi.
* Jeon Ik-ryung as Lady Song
    A vicious and cruel person who treats slaves like animals and commits atrocities that are brutal, ruthless and creepy.
* Kim Sun-bin as Baek Do-gwang
    Lady Song's son.
* Yoon Hee-seok as Lord Cha Cheon-sik
* Hong Jin-ki as Kkeut Dongi
    "Tae-young"'s family member.
* Jung Soo-young as Mrs. Hong
* Hong Bi-ra as Lady Lee
* Sung Dong-il as Sung Kyu-Jin
    A just and righteous magistrate who is the father of Yoon-gyeom and Do-gyeom.
* Choi Jung-woo as Park Jun-gi
    A corrupt and immoral official who marries So-Hye as his concubine and also schemed to get rid of "Tae-young". He was, in the end, arrested for corruption and died from torture.
* Kim Dong-gyun as Lee Chung-il
    Madam Kim's husband.

### Special appearances

* Son Na-eun as Ok Tae-young
    The real Ok Tae-young, who died in a fire.
* Lee Sang-hee as Gae Jook
    Kim Nak-soo's servant and Goo Deok's father.

## Production
### Development

Director Jin Hyuk, who previously worked on Master's Sun (2013), The Legend of the Blue Sea (2016–2017) and Sisyphus: The Myth (2021), and writer Park Ji-sook, who wrote My Spring Days (2014) and Uncle (2021–2022), teamed up to create the series.

### Casting

On December 6, 2023, it was reported that Lim Ji-yeon and Choo Young-woo were confirmed as the lead actors of the series.
On May 28, 2024, actor Lee Jae-won was confirmed to join the cast.
On June 11, 2024, Yeonwoo and Kim Jae-won were reported to appear in the series.

## Release

JTBC confirmed that the series would premiere in the second half of 2024. The series was confirmed to broadcast on November 30, 2024, and would be airing every Saturday and Sunday at 22:30 (KST). It would also be available to stream on Kocowa in the Americas, Europe, and Oceania.

## Reception
### Audience

The Korea Times praised The Tale of Lady Ok for its progressive depiction of Goo-deok (Lim Ji-yeon), a female slave who defies societal norms in the Joseon Dynasty to become a legal advocate for the oppressed. Lim's powerful performance and the drama's fusion of historical and modern themes have resonated with viewers, achieving a peak rating of 11.1%. The story is commended for empowering women through a compelling narrative of justice and resilience.

### Critical response

Pierce Conran of South China Morning Post highlights The Tale of Lady Ok as a refreshing departure from typical Joseon-era dramas. Lim Ji-yeon's compelling portrayal of Ok Tae-young was praised as a character evolving from a servant to a noblewoman, adding depth to the genre's traditional costume intrigue. The drama's nuanced storytelling and engaging performances captivated viewers with its focus on personal transformation within a period setting offers a unique twist to familiar narratives.
Writing for Forbes, Joan MacDonald praised Lim Ji-Yeon for her convincing Lady Ok/Gudeok, someone whose spirit could not be confined by the limitations of her surroundings. Drama critic Gong Hee-jung praised Lim Ji-yeon for showing significant growth and maturity in her performance. She noted that Lim skillfully blended the character's emotions with the personality Ok Tae-young might possess, reflecting the actress's effort. Lim was also praised for fitting seamlessly into the role of a self-reliant woman overcoming challenges. Gong highlighted that while many dramas portray women's independence, The Tale of Lady Ok stands out for focusing on resolving issues within a legal framework rather than solely through personal effort.

### Ranking

The series ranked eighth globally on Netflix's "TV Shows (Non-English)" from December 2 to 8, 2024, with 1.6 million views despite being only released in some Asian region initially. The Top 10 countries include Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam.
The show also generated significant buzz in South Korea, leading the drama category on Good Data Corporation FUNdex during December 10 and topping both TV and OTT charts within two weeks of its release. Lim Ji-yeon and Choo Young Woo ranked first and second in actor popularity respectively. Lim maintained her top spot for drama performers who generated the most buzz for two consecutive weeks in a row.

## Viewership

| Season | Season | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Average |
| Season | Season | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Average |
| | 1 | 0.920 | 1.490 | 1.666 | 1.921 | 1.789 | 2.097 | 1.714 | 1.984 | 2.461 | 2.632 | 1.861 | 2.106 | 1.923 | 2.313 | 2.401 | 3.292 | 2.038 |
Average TV viewership ratings :
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Average audience share (Nielsen Korea) | Average audience share (Nielsen Korea) |
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Nationwide | Seoul |
| 1 | November 30, 2024 | 4.206% (1st) | 4.690% (1st) |
| 2 | December 1, 2024 | 6.813% (1st) | 7.190% (1st) |
| 3 | December 8, 2024 | 7.786% (1st) | 8.081% (1st) |
| 4 | December 15, 2024 | 8.496% (1st) | 8.892% (1st) |
| 5 | December 21, 2024 | 7.863% (1st) | 8.708% (1st) |
| 6 | December 22, 2024 | 9.124% (1st) | 9.224% (1st) |
| 7 | December 28, 2024 | 8.077% (1st) | 7.857% (1st) |
| 8 | December 29, 2024 | 9.457% (1st) | 9.135% (1st) |
| 9 | January 4, 2025 | 10.338% (1st) | 10.597% (1st) |
| 10 | January 5, 2025 | 11.061% (1st) | 11.849% (1st) |
| 11 | January 11, 2025 | 7.689% (1st) | 8.321% (1st) |
| 12 | January 12, 2025 | 9.200% (1st) | 10.226% (1st) |
| 13 | January 18, 2025 | 8.406% (1st) | 9.132% (1st) |
| 14 | January 19, 2025 | 9.836% (1st) | 10.758% (1st) |
| 15 | January 25, 2025 | 10.201% (1st) | 10.869% (1st) |
| 16 | January 26, 2025 | 13.575% (1st) | 14.030% (1st) |
| Average | Average | 8.882% | 9.347% |
| In the table above, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings. This drama aired on a cable channel/pay TV which normally has a relatively smaller audience compared to free-to-air TV/public broadcasters (KBS, SBS, MBC, and EBS). ||||