Profile

Drama: Shin Don
Revised romanization: Shin Don
Hangul: 신돈
Director: Jin-min Kim
Writer: Jung Ha-Yeon
Network: MBC
Episodes: 63
Release Date: September 24, 2005 - May 7, 2006
Runtime: 21:40
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

Plot

King Gongmin of Goryeo was taken by the Yuan Dynasty as a political hostage and was forced to stay there for 10 years before coming to the throne. After he became the King of Goryeo, he decided to make his country more independent. Shin Don was a Buddhist priest who enjoyed King Gongmin’s confidence. He was born as the son of a princess and a slave. Shin Don became so powerful that later he gained absolute control over the country. Though he was a Buddhist priest, he relied on political power more than compassion or loving kindness in order to survive the troubled times. He was an innovative philosopher who both despised and worshipped all the established ideas. While some people considered him a man blinded by greed for power, others believed that he was a true social reformer who struggled to revive Goryeo during a period of turmoil. This drama will introduce viewers to Shin Don’s ambitious life full of ups and downs, as well as the love and betrayal of King Gongmin and Princess Noguk.Shin Don is one of the most disputed historical figures. He could be a mere vicious Buddhist priest or he could be a hero. Since there are many different stories about him and the truth remains unknown, his life seems almost mythical. The drama portrays him as a schemer obsessed with power, willing to resort to trickery. On the other hand, it also shows him as a revolutionist who tries to create a democratic power structure. Religion was his ideal; however, it was also his tool of seizing political power and winning popular support.

Cast


Son Chang Min as Shin Don
Jung Bo Suk as King Gong Min
Seo Ji Hye as Princess Nokuk / Ban Ya
Kang Moon Young as Cho Seon
Oh Man Suk as Won Hyeon
Eom Yoo Shin as Queen Myeong Deok (Gong Min's mother)
Kim Yeo Jin as Mongolian Princess Deok Nyeong (King Chungmok's mother)
Moon Jung Hee as Hye-bi
Jung Sung Mo as Lee In Bok
Choi Sang Hoon as Choi Yeong
Kim Hye Ri as Qi Empress (of the Toghun Temür Khan, Yuan Dynasty)
Lee Dae Yeon as Ki Chul
Choi Jae Ho as Ki Won
Im Hyuk as Bo Yoo
Lee Jin Woo as Lee Seong Gye
Kim Sang Soon as Yeom Je Shin
Song Jae Ho as Lee Je Hyeon
Jun In Taek as Lee Saek
Bae Do Hwan as Lee In Im
Im Byung Ki (임병기) as Im Chun Bu
Yoon Chul Hyung as Kim Yong
Jung Myung Hwan as Jo Il Shin
Kim Myung Kook as Jung Se Woon
Lee Doo Sub (이두섭) as Choi Man Saeng
Kim Byung Choon as Kim Won Myeong
Kim Myung Soo as Gyeong Cheong Heung
Lee Ji Eun as Ik-bi
Ji Sung Won as Yoon Hee-bi
Lee Jung Sup as Ahn Do Chi
Oh Hyun Kyung as Gaetaesa monk
Seo Il Hyun as Gi Won
Oh Gun Woo
Hong Jin Hee
Jo Duk Hyun
Nam Young Jin

Production Credits

Chief Producer: Jung Woon Hyun
Director: Kim Jin Min, Lee Kyung Sun (이경선), Kim Sang Hyub (김상협)
Screenwriter: Jung Ha Yun

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