Min Ik-pyeong

Min Ik-pyeong is a Second State Councillor to King Hamyeong Yi Tae in *Rookie Historian*. He is played by Choi Deok-moon and is the main antagonist of the series. He is underhanded, cunning, and manipulative.

## Biography

It is suggested by his son, Min Woo-won, that Min Ik-pyeong did not come from a wealthy family but was well-read and intelligent. He eventually managed to gain a government position under King Huiyeong Yi Gweom but was loyal to Prince Hamyeong.

At some point before Kin Huiyeong’s death, Min Ik-pyeong children to an unnamed wife – oldest son Min Woo-won and younger daughter Min Woo-hui.

Min Ik-pyeong had contempt towards the scholar-officials, as most scholars were educated because of wealthy backgrounds and went on to become powerful officials – perpetuating a cycle of power from wealth and monopolizing authority with the rich. His anger at King Huiyeong was due to the King’s indiscriminate approach to education – not just for the poor, but also women – which Min Ik-pyeong believed was against moral custom.

With Prince Hamyeong, Min Ik-pyeong mustered enough men to storm the palace on the day of Prince Dowon’s birth in the year of *gyeongo*. He forced Goo Jae-gyeong to forge a letter from King Huiyeong embracing Catholicism in Joseon to create false grounds for treason. After confronting the King, he killed the King himself by stabbing him through the abdomen.

After the King’s death, he accompanied Prince Hamyeong to the Queen Dowager’s chambers, coercing her into anointing Hamyeong Yi Tae as successor. The Queen agreed, but only if they spared newborn Prince Dowon.

During this time, Min Ik-pyeong also brought about the massacre and subsequent fall of *Seoraewon*, including the death of Seo Moon-jik (Goo Hae-ryung’s father).

Before the series, Min Ik-pyeong was appointed Second State Councillor and had gained many allies – including Ministry of Personnel Song Jae-cheon. It is mentioned in Episode 17 that he forced his daughter, Woo-hui, to enter the palace and marry Crown Prince Yi Jin.

Throughout the series, Min Ik-pyeong orchestrates several events by manipulating King Hamyeong, including the banning of *The Story of Ho Dam*, several murders, the imprisonment of the Queen Dowager, and the arranged marriage of Prince Dowon. He has a henchman, Gwi Jae, to carry out most of his orders.

In Episode 16, military leader Lord So Baek-son describes the Min family as the most powerful, rather than the royal Yi family.

At the end of the series, he is charged for his crimes against King Huiyeong and *Seoraewon*, and executed off-screen in an unknown manner.

## Personality

Min Ik-pyeong is determined and extremely calculating, as shown throughout the series. He amasses allies by offering them power or other assistance, in return for their loyalty. An example of this is Song Sa-hui, who asks him for help in becoming a female historian so she can gain independence and freedom, however, he orders her to break historian laws by divulging the contents of a *sachaek* and also offers Sa-hui up to marry Prince Dowon without warning her or her father.

He is shown to put his personal gain over love for his children as suggested by Min Woo-won in Episode 10 – Min Ik-pyeong has never sacrificed anything of his own, but always asked sacrifices of others. He allowed the execution of his daughter-in-law’s father and forced his only daughter to marry Prince Yi Jin. In Episode 20, he even orders the imprisonment of Min Woo-won.

In Episode 20, he admits that once he gained power, he became too greedy to let go of it, but does not regret overthrowing the previous king. He stubbornly retains his beliefs of ‘moral custom’.

## Relationships

King Hamyeong Yi Tae

* He appears loyal to Hamyeong, but only because the King’s position guarantees Ik-pyeong’s own power. He often manipulates the King into making decisions that benefits Ik-pyeong, usually by making the King suspicious of others.

Min Woo-won

* Woo-won rejects all offers of promotion from his father, and holds his father responsible for his wife’s death. Although initially reluctant to actively go against Min Ik-pyeong, he does so at the end of the series. He mentions that he used to look up to his father, and asks how Min Ik-pyeong became so corrupted.

Song Sa-hui

* Although she had asked Min Ik-pyeong for help in becoming a historian, she eventually turns against him after he puts her up as a bridal candidate. He threatens her life the next time she betrays him, but she manages to sever ties with him and admits that she has information that could bring about Min Ik-pyeong’s downfall.

Goo Jae-gyeong

* Forced to falsify a letter from the King and inadvertently bringing about King Huiyeong’s death, Goo Jae-gyeong pretends to work with Min Ik-pyeong, especially in finding Mo-wha, a survivor from *Seoraewon*. He ensures that Mo-wha is not captured and is revealed to have written *The Story of Ho Dam*. He also orchestrates a non-fatal attack on Prince Dowon in Episode [] to turn the King against Min Ik-pyeong.

Crown Prince Yi Jin

* The Prince is distrustful of Min Ik-pyeong, but if often unable to convince his father to see through the Second State Councillor’s treacherous means.

Min Woo-hui

* Like Min Woo-won, she has no trust left for her father. She blames him for making her marry the Prince and putting her in a difficult position in the palace, as Crown Prince Jin does not trust her and she has not been able to conceive a child with him.