“During the Joseon Dynasty, there were countless hanryang. Among them, famous examples included Seo In Kim Chuntaek; the eunuch Kim Panseok, who had power over more court ladies than the king; and Jeong Seokwoo, a descendant of a noble yangban family, who indulged in all kinds of pleasures with widows across all eight provinces of Joseon. Their number was so great that it was hard to count.”
I didn’t know much about the hanryang of the Joseon era. However, playwright Jeong Yongdae knew the history of these unknown Casanovas so well that he could count them on his fingers. He didn’t stop there; he even added further details about the famous ones.
“Seo In Kim Chuntaek was known as a womanizer during the Joseon era. On the surface, he appeared to do everything in his power to establish the Seo In regime, but his debauched behavior suggested that his true focus might have been elsewhere. There were rumors that he had a special relationship with Sukbin Choi—so much so that some claimed King Yeongjo’s father was not King Sukjong but Kim Chuntaek.”
What a notorious womanizer.
“Eunuch Kim Panseok roamed the palace freely and captivated countless court ladies. Doesn’t it seem strange to you, Yeongguk? How could someone who couldn’t even perform as a man seduce so many court ladies? At first, he enchanted them with his charming words and kind actions. But it turned out that Kim Panseok, despite being a eunuch, was still able to engage in sexual activities. He was born without testicles and had alopecia, so no one knew. Later, when this fact was discovered, he was executed by geoyeolhyeong.”
Geoyeolhyeong? Did he mean neungjicheocham?[1]
“Jeong Seokwoo, the son of a nobleman, captivated widows with an elegance befitting a young master of a noble family. He would sweet-talk to them, making promises of eternal love, while secretly meeting other widows. The funny thing is, none of the widows blamed Jeong Seokwoo because they were so deeply captivated by him. It’s said that the number of widows he seduced reached a hundred just in the capital, so you can imagine how many there were. Yet, because he was a nobleman’s son, he wasn’t punished. But he died young, before reaching thirty, from boksangsa.”[2]
I didn’t know much about the history of hanryang. Let alone the sexual customs of the Joseon era, which I wasn’t even interested in. All I knew was that the Joseon era was considered a morally upright society, as evidenced by sayings like “Boys and girls should not sit together after the age of seven”[3] and the existence of yeolnyeomun.[4] At that moment, playwright Jeong Yongdae seemed to have read Yeongguk’s thoughts and added further explanation.
“Of course, one might say, how could there be Casanovas in the Joseon era when Neo-Confucianism was prevalent? But it took a long time for Confucian culture to take root, and during that gap, Joseon’s sexual customs were quite chaotic.”
“Mr. Jeong, I’m sorry, but I’m a minor. Can I really take on such a role? After all, unlike movies, plays require showing everything to the audience on stage.”
I couldn’t help but feel flustered. If it were a movie, I might have considered the role. After all, scenes could be created through editing and camera angles. But in a play, the audience’s eyes were the camera, and their ears were the sound.
At that moment, Jeong Yongdae shook his head and spoke firmly.
“Yeongguk, I have no intention of depicting the stories of such womanizers. The Casanova in my play is a hanryang of a different caliber than those I mentioned earlier. Even if Kim Chuntaek, Kim Panseok, and Jeong Seokwoo were to come together, they wouldn’t surpass the Casanova in my play.”
“Do you really think I can handle that role?”
“Of course, the play was inspired by you, Yeongguk. In my mind, there’s no protagonist other than you. How about it, the greatest Casanova of Joseon?”
Playwright Jeong Yongdae added with a meaningful smile.
“Are you intrigued?”
* * *
A car was driving along a road winding like waves following the mountain range. On the side of the road, trainees in military uniforms marched in line to the commands of their instructor. As the name heoltteokgogae[5] suggests, the faces of the soldiers carrying their gear were covered in sweat. Manager Lee Bongchun, holding the steering wheel, looked at them with admiration.
“Ah, that’s when it’s the toughest, being a trainee and marching with all that gear. Everyone thinks it’s over once they finish their trainee period, but once you get that stripe on your chest and go to your unit, that’s when real military life begins.”
“Hyung, didn’t you say you were in public service?”
“Even those that end up in public service go through the same training. I worked in a sewage treatment plant, known as the Marine Corps of public service. It’s really tough there too. Maybe not as much as active duty, but still.”
“Ahem.”
“I’m serious. Yeongguk, you wouldn’t know since you haven’t been to the military. Training camp life is really tough.”
Not been to the military, huh.
In my past life, I served in the military in Gangwon Province. In summer, it was unbearably hot, and in winter, no matter how much I bundled up and layered thermal underwear, the cold pierced through the uniform in less than ten minutes.
Anyway…
“What kind of variety show is being filmed in the mountains of Gangwon Province? And they even told us to bring a suitcase.”
It was the first pilot program PD Jeong Jiyong was handling after being demoted to the Variety Department. But the filming location was a bit ambiguous. We had already left Seoul and entered Gangwon Province, but we were still heading deeper into the mountains, not knowing the destination.
The dense forest was already covered in a thick layer of white snow, and deer occasionally left footprints as they trotted around. Were we going to film a camping show?
“You’ll find out when we get there. If I tell you in advance, you’ll want to turn the car around, so I can’t say.”
Manager Lee Bongchun chuckled and held back his words. Come to think of it, I didn’t even ask what kind of variety show it was after deciding to participate. Finally, the car left the road and entered an unpaved path. There were so many bumpy stones that it was hard to tell if we were in a car or on an amusement ride.
“Huh?”
The first thing that caught my eye was none other than a mountain lodge. It appeared suddenly, like an isolated island, a mountain lodge pension. Nestled in the snow-covered white forest, it added a touch of mystery. However, the line of luxury cars parked beside the lodge reminded me that this was not a fairy tale world.
“Hyung, are there really that many celebrities invited for today’s variety show?”
At a glance, there were quite a few cars, and they all had the van shape that screamed celebrity. Also, it seemed like the number of the filming crew was considerable. What kind of variety show was being filmed that it was able to receive so much support from the pilot stage?
As soon as he stepped out of the car, still looking a bit bewildered, a VJ rushed over to capture him on film.
“Are we filming already?”
He hadn’t even received a script. The VJ nodded vigorously in response. Manager Lee Bongchun watched the scene with a smile. What kind of variety show started off with such a bang?
Only after he had carried his luggage to the entrance of the mountain lodge did the VJ give an okay sign. It was then that PD Jeong Jiyong, the director of this variety show, appeared.
“Jiyong-hyung!”
“Yeongguk, thanks for coming all the way here!”
“Ah, enough with the formalities. How long has it been? It’s only been three years since we last saw each other at the wrap up party for Man of August. Yet, you haven’t changed a bit. I thought you’d be all serious now that you’re a PD.”
“Nah, I’m just a PD in name. Do you think I have what it takes to be a real PD? And you’re the one who’s changed a lot. You hit it big at SBC last year. I thought you had grown a lot back then, but how can someone change so much in three years? Wow, what are kids eating these days to grow so tall?”
Now that he thought about it, he remembered. Three years ago, he was much shorter than Jeong Jiyong, who was then an FD. Now PD Jeong was below his eye level, giving Yeongguk a bit of a nostalgic feeling. Looking at the vans parked in a long line, he then asked PD Jeong.
“By the way, hyung, what kind of shoot is this that there are so many cars lined up at the lodge?”
“Didn’t the CEO tell you? I sent the concept in advance.”
“I thought the concept might change since it’s a pilot program, so I didn’t ask much. If I had known it would be this big with so many people involved…”
“Don’t worry, there’s hardly any script today, and the main concept is improvisation. Are you curious about the concept of today’s shoot?”
“Of course, I’m curious. Given the location, I thought we might be camping. But seeing so many celebrities here, it doesn’t seem like that’s the case.”
“Yeongguk, get ready. Today’s shoot is…”
At that moment, PD Jeong Jiyong nudged him with his elbow and gave a satisfied smile.
“…It’s a blind date.”
* * *
Ah, I’ve been had.
Yeongguk kept thinking to himself, Why am I here? What he thought would be a regular variety show turned out to be a mistake. It was going to be a show with a 4-on-4 blind date format. No wonder neither CEO Kim Seonghwan nor Manager Lee Bongchun mentioned anything about the concept—they were all in on it.
“Today, we have four men and four women here. Each of them has made a splash in Korea. Their talents span a wide range of professions, from singers to comedians to models and to drama actors.”
The host was enthusiastically setting the mood. How did they come up with the idea of a group blind date in a mountain lodge?
“Today, the person with the most votes from each team will be crowned the King and Queen!”
He wanted to avoid such a crown. However, the women’s gazes on Yeongguk were so intense they were almost scorching. None of them seemed to have expected Yeongguk to be part of the lineup. As a result, even during breaks, he was overwhelmed with greetings from both female and male celebrities.
It was a pilot program after all. It was unlikely that big names would appear on a one-off program that might not even get a regular slot. Now he understood why PD Jeong Jiyong had gone to such lengths to persuade his agency.
“Instead of starting with introductions, how about we begin with a talent show? It might be more effective in making a good impression! So, who would like to start? The women’s team or the men’s team?”
The host was stirring up the atmosphere. Sensing the opportunity, a comedian among the male celebrities stepped forward to showcase his talent—one of which was impersonations. As expected, a comedian was a comedian. His unique humor filled the shooting location with laughter.
The male celebrities eagerly showcased their talents. A singer-turned-celebrity performed a dazzling dance, seemingly trying to capture the women’s hearts. Yeongguk watched with a hint of envy.
A male celebrity who was a former model strutted as if the place were a runway, then introduced himself in front of the camera. Eventually, it was Yeongguk’s turn.
Is it my turn now?
The host looked at Yeongguk and gave a meaningful smile.
“The highlight of today, the turn of the last male, Number 4, has arrived. He hasn’t introduced himself yet, but you all know who he is, right? Just to let you know, Male Number 4 is a minor. So, the noonas and hyungs here today should take good care of him. Even though he looks so tall and handsome, he’s still a baby at heart, a baby!”
The host’s joking remark once again turned the shooting location into a sea of laughter. Meanwhile, Yeongguk couldn’t even muster a hollow laugh. He was older than the camera director on set. Inside, he felt like a seasoned middle-aged man. In a way, today’s variety show didn’t seem all that bad.
The greatest Casanova of Joseon.
Didn’t it quite resonate with playwright Jeong Yongdae’s play?
– “Yeongguk, hanryangs were traditionally skilled in the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. They excelled in artistic fields, which is why they were able to captivate so many women. In that sense, Yeongguk, don’t you already have a field you’re good at?”
The host asked Yeongguk.
“Male Number 4, as the last participant, why don’t you show off your charm?”
As an actor, everyone expected him to act. The camera director was preparing to zoom in with the camera. However, Yeongguk, with the characteristic nonchalance of a hanryang, gave a sly smile to the women.
“I’ll sing.”
[1] Okay, even I had to look this up. Geoyeolhyeong is dismemberment by quartering, where parts of your body are tied to something and then violently torn apart. Neungjicheocham is an even more gruesome (and painful) method of execution, where you are slowly sliced to death.
[2] Boksangsa (복상사) literally means “death on top of the stomach” or “death on the stomach” and refers to sudden death during sexual intercourse.
[3] 남녀칠세부동석
[4] Yeolnyeomun is a gate or monument honoring a virtuous woman, often one who remained faithful to her deceased husband.
[5] It’s basically a really steep hill where soldiers train.
