The desperate survival story of slave Im Ji-yeon has begun.

In the JTBC weekend drama ‘Madam Ok‘s Story’ (written by Park Ji-sook, directed by Jin Hyeok), which first aired on November 30, the story of the strange life of Gu Deok-i (played by Im Ji-yeon), who went from being a slave suffering from severe abuse and persecution at her master’s house to seizing the opportunity to live as the daughter of a noble family, captivated viewers. The first episode recorded a viewership rating of 4.7% in the metropolitan area, signaling a pleasant start. (Based on Nielsen Korea‘s paid households)

The episode depicted the life of Gu Deok-i, who lives diligently without giving up on the hope of running away with her father Gae-juk-i (played by Lee Sang-hee) someday despite the cruel treatment of her master Kim Nak-soo (played by Lee Seo-hwan) and his daughter. It was heartbreaking to see Gudeok trying to live like a human by collecting any wages he could get, escaping from the cruel and heartless acts of his master, who even buried his sick mother alive.

Then one day, while selling beans in a market where an electrician’s performance was taking place, Gudeok coincidentally meets Song Seo-in (played by Chu Young-woo), the eldest son of the Song family, who was discussing marriage with the landlady, Kim So-hye (played by Ha Yul-ri). Their relationship, which started from a small misunderstanding with Song Seo-in, who lied about his identity, grew into something heartbreaking. Despite being a slave, Song Seo-in asked Gudeok, who had extraordinary insight, what his dream was, and Gudeok replied, “To grow old gracefully, without being beaten to death or starving to death,” which made the viewers weep. Song Seo-in, who was moved by Gudeok who gave her enlightenment, was confused by the fact that she was the servant of the man she was having a marriage proposal with.

However, Gudeok, who was secretly doing kitchen work at Song Dae-gam‘s birthday party, avoided So-hye’s eyes and hid in the annex where Song Seo-in was staying, and was mistaken for being in collusion with her, which led to an uncontrollable crisis. As if that wasn‘t enough for Gudeok, who was punished for blocking the master’s wedding and was in danger of being sent to the master‘s bedroom, Gudeok turned the master’s house upside down and ran away with her father.

It was a sudden opportunity for freedom, but the situation was not easy because she was a runaway slave. Gae-juk, worried that he would be a burden to his intelligent daughter, left Gu-deok behind and went on the road, and Gu-deok was left alone at the inn where he had been staying with his father and began living with the innkeeper, Geut-bun (played by Kim Jung-young).

Later, Gu-deok met Ok Tae-young (played by Son Na-eun), a woman who started staying at the inn, and his fate changed. Unlike So-hye, who did not even treat him like a human being, Ok Tae-young treated Gu-deok as a comrade and respected him. Even though she was in danger of losing her life in an attack by a group of bandits, she saved Gu-deok instead of herself and passed away.

When Gu-deok opened his eyes, he encountered the Ok family members who mistook him for Ok Tae-young. Attention is focused on what kind of consequences will come from Gu Deok‘s first lie, answering “yes” to the grandmother’s (played by Kim Mi Sook) question asking if he is Ok Tae Young.

In this way, “The Story of Lady Ok” has provided an immersive experience that cannot be taken away by humorously yet deeply depicting the life of a slave who wants to live like a human being, not because of her status, with a whirlwind of developments from the first episode. Here, the passionate performances of Lim Ji-yeon (as Gu Deok-i) and Chu Young-woo (as Song Seo-in), which deeply portrayed the characteristics and emotional lines of each character, the directing that heightened the dramatic tension, and the sensual visual beauty all came together to create a tight synergy and deliver a strong resonance.

Lim Ji-yeon‘s life-changing fraud that changes the fate of a miserable slave continues in the second episode of JTBC’s Sat-Sun drama ‘Madame Ok‘s Tale’, which airs tonight (the 1st) at 10:30 PM.

Jeon Hyo-jin, Donga.com reporter jhj@donga.com