Game Over for KBS Series Dae Jo Yeong

Dae Jo Yeong, a popular KBS historical drama ended this past Sunday after a tally of 134 episodes. The first episode aired in September 2006 and this hit drama consistently had high viewership. This Korean drama is about the life of Dae Jo Yeong, who was the founder of the kingdom of Balhae. Ratings were through the roof in recent weeks, as it hit a 36.8% tally (which means 36.8% of households with a TV in South Korea tuned in) for the 130th December 9th episode. The final episode also recorded an impressive 33.3% viewer rating, and many were impressed with how the Balhae kingdom achieved a peace accord with China's Tang Dynasty. Many also shed tears when Dae Jo Yeong had to part ways with his son Jeong Tae Woo. Chinese president Hu Jintao is a big fan of Korean dramas, however Dae Jo Yeong has been blacklisted in China because the Chinese Government believes the drama is "smearing Chinese history". They also had qualms with the depicting of Tang emperor Li Shimin as ugly, foolish, and weak as the army was portrayed to be begging for mercy on one of the episodes. Regardless of the blacklisting, the drama was pretty much true to form from a historical perspective. The main star, Choi Soo Jong (a graduate of Colorado State University) shouldn't have trouble to find future work as he remains very popular with Korean women (mainly because he admitted that he does the housework, cooks, and allows his wife to rest). So, if a future role for a maid or slave opens up, he should be perfect for the job. It may be Game Over for Dae Jo Yeong but it was a game well played, a drama that should be remembered for a long time (mainly as re-runs on AZN TV).