Actually, I don't watch many Korean dramas. Since middle and high school, I've been watching a lot of American TV series that are about 40-50 minutes per episode, so I can't seem to finish Korean dramas that are 75 minutes long. In that sense, ‘The Goryeo-Khitan War’ which began airing at the end of last year, had a very low barrier to entry. The runtime rarely exceeds 50 minutes.
The Goryeo-Khitan War will likely be one of the most successful TV series in Korea in the fourth quarter of 2023. It's a work that revitalized the stale KBS historical drama in a trendy way. The production team poured a large budget into depicting the Battle of Gwiju and the Battle of Heunghwajin, and it received a positive response from viewers. In particular, Yang Gyu (played by Ji Seung-hyeon), a war hero who was almost forgotten in Korea, has created numerous historical drama fans.
However, after the death of Yang Gyu, who was practically the protagonist in the early stages of the drama, the drama's reputation plummeted. From episode 17, content that differed from historical facts began to appear, and the controversy flared up when the original novel's author criticized the scriptwriter, who then countered the criticism. Ultimately, the director of The Goryeo-Khitan War, Jeon Woo-seong, apologized for the historical distortion, and the drama will be on hiatus during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday.
A Suddenly Ruined Worldview
The world of The Goryeo-Khitan War is faithful to historical facts. That's why the brutal reality of medieval East Asia depicted in the drama added tension to the plot. If it were a typical Korean historical drama, a beautiful hanbok-clad female lead and male lead would have been engaged in love squabbles without a care for food or survival. But in this world, everything boils down to food and survival.
For example, in the early stages, Gangjo diligently calculates how much food is needed in preparation for war. Nobles who have to send their sons to the battlefield harbor resentment towards the emperor. In the world of The Goryeo-Khitan War, if you don't secure food, you'll die soon, and even the most beautiful hanbok-clad nobles can be easily dragged to the battlefield and beheaded.
In this world, Yang Gyu repelled the attack of 400,000 Khitan soldiers with just 4,000 soldiers. And he led a small suicide squad to rescue the captured farmers. Because the world of The Goryeo-Khitan War was a brutal world grounded in reality, viewers could feel his life-or-death struggle. Furthermore, they could be moved by Yang Gyu's sacrifice.
Yang Gyu's Demise
The world of The Goryeo-Khitan War is equally brutal for the Khitan characters. As the war drags on, the Khitan soldiers become eager to quickly grab loot and return home. They have families to support, after all. On the other hand, the Khitan Emperor Yelü Longxu wants to quickly capture the Goryeo King and solidify his political position. The characters in this drama clash with the ‘world of The Goryeo-Khitan War,’ which is faithfully recreated based on historical facts.
However, from episodes 17 to 20, the world of The Goryeo-Khitan War shrinks to the Goryeo royal palace. The brutal world that had infused the drama with tension suddenly vanished. The scenes primarily depict the queen and princesses engaging in jealousy and the king and his ministers involved in emotional arguments within the lavish Goryeo court. These characters now seem to be free from the concerns of food and survival.
Despite Yang Gyu's sacrifice, the Khitans took away numerous farmers in the previous episodes. If it were the world of The Goryeo-Khitan War depicted up to episode 16, the Goryeo royal family would be in a situation where they would have to worry about running out of food. Hyunjung should be rebuilding the ruined palace and capital while preparing for a possible Khitan counterattack. But for some reason, from episode 17 onward, the drama focuses on the emotional squabbles of beautifully dressed nobles, neglecting to show this situation.
A Trite Approach to Female Characters
It's quite a cliché in Korean historical dramas for women to be portrayed as embodiments of jealousy. Within a patriarchal society, female characters compete for the king's favor, fueled by envy. This conflict is often depicted as if it's isolated from the outside world, with the harsh realities of survival typically portrayed as the domain of men. In this 2024 drama, Lee Jeong-woo, the writer of The Goryeo-Khitan War, is resorting to this tired narrative.
From episode 17, Queen Wonjeong (played by Lee Shia) takes on the archetypal villain role, a common trope in Korean TV historical dramas. She becomes envious of her husband Hyunjung's fourth wife, Queen Wonhye (played by Ha Seung-ri), and tries to bring down her family. This conflict is not only 100% fictional and not based on historical fact, but it also doesn't align with the previously depicted situation in Goryeo's capital, Kaesong. It's clear that in episode 16, Goryeo's capital was destroyed. The palace burned, refugees without food begged for scraps, and even Hyunjung, without guards, was pickpocketed.
Queen Wonjeong is a character who values the survival and prosperity of the royal family. Wouldn't it have been more plausible and relevant to modern viewers if she had shown efforts to protect the royal family in this broken world? The sudden shift to women vying for favor in a lavish palace doesn't fit with the meticulously built world, giving the impression that the production team is being lazy in their portrayal of female characters.
The Goryeo-Khitan War has eight episodes left. The brutal ‘world of The Goryeo-Khitan War’ has returned to the drama as the Khitans prepare to invade Goryeo once again. In particular, the production team has stated that they will be producing the ‘Battle of Gwiju,’ which will be featured in the final episode, with a scale and quality never before seen in Asian TV series. Hopefully, they will successfully conclude the well-established ‘world of The Goryeo-Khitan War’ in the remaining 8 episodes.
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