Deep Rooted Tree
Deep Rooted Tree () is a 2011 South Korean television series starring Han Suk-kyu, Jang Hyuk and Shin Se-kyung. Based on the novel of the same name by Lee Jung-myung, it aired on SBS from 5 October to 22 December 2011 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 24 episodes. Taking its name from the poem Yongbieocheonga that says that trees with deep roots do not sway, the series tells the story of a royal guard (played by Jang Hyuk) investigating a case involving the serial murders of Jiphyeonjeon scholars in Gyeongbok Palace while King  Sejong (played by Han Suk-kyu, in his TV comeback after 16 years of solely film work) comes to create the Korean written language. Synopsis. Early in his reign, King Sejong inevitably causes the death of his in-laws and their slaves in an attempt to save them from his brutal father, King Taejong, mainly due to his lack of authority and power. Two young slaves, Ddol-bok and his friend Dam, survive but neither knows if the other has. Ddol-bok blames the king and vows to kill him to avenge the deaths of everyone he loved and spends  years becoming a great warrior. Dam, who has a photographic memory, becomes a court lady called So-yi (Shin Se-kyung), but she feels so guilty about her role in the other slaves' deaths that she becomes mute. Ddol-bok returns to the palace under the name of Kang Chae-yoon (Jang Hyuk) to kill the king. However, during his time there, he becomes embroiled in the mystery surrounding the deaths of several Hall of Worthies scholars. The deaths were caused by a secret society called "Hidden Root," which was created long ago by followers of Jeong Do-jeon, with  the goal of giving more power to ministers and less to the king. King Taejong killed Jeong Do-jeon and all of his family except his nephew, Jeong Gi-joon, who is now the leader of Hidden Root and lives in disguise not far from King Sejong. It soon becomes known that the king, with the help of So-yi and the Hall of Worthies scholars, has been working for years on a secret project, which turns out to be the creation of the Korean alphabet. While tracking Hidden Root, Kang Chae-yoon and So-yi each realizes who the  other really is - Ddol-bok and Dam. Realizing that each other are the ones who they were dying to find, So-yi begins to speak. So-yi shows Chae-yoon the alphabet and describes how it will give more power to commoners. Chae-yoon is amazed with the simplicity of the alphabet and is convinced to work with the king instead of killing him. However, Jeong Gi-joon believes that the new alphabet is a threat to Confucian order, and decides to stop it at all costs. He murders the king's son, but this only makes Sejong more determined . Jeong is able to stop the king's dissemination efforts, and on the day the alphabet is to be publicly announced, both So-yi and Chae-yoon are fatally wounded by Hidden Root members. However, through their sacrifices, the event is successful, and commoners begin to use Hangul. Cast. Han Suk-kyu as King Sejong Jang Hyuk as Kang Chae-yoon/Ddol-bok Shin Se-kyung as So-yi/Dam Real-life father and son Baek Yoon-sik and Baek Seo-bin co-starred in the drama. Ratings. Source: AGB Nielsen Korea International broadcast. It aired in Japan on KNTV  from 24 July to 17 September 2012, which was followed by reruns on terrestrial network TV Tokyo. It aired in Thailand on Channel 7 every Monday to Thursday at 2.10 a.m. starting 14 January 2016.