Sungkyunkwan Scandal (Korean Drama)

Here's another romantic comedy drama that addicted me.

After I finished watching You're Beautiful, I asked my classmates about other Korean dramas with more or less the same genre. Three of them, and many others that I have read on the internet, suggested Sungkyunkwan Scandal. That was when I decided to watch this drama.

Just like You're Beautiful, this is a gender bender type of drama released on 2010.

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Sungkyunkwan Scandal

成均館緋聞
성균관 스캔들

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Kim Yoon Hee lost her father in an unjust murder. What was left in their household was only her mother, her sick brother, and herself. In their male-oriented society, women working for a living is against the law. Instead of her sick brother, she was forced to dress and act like a man to work at a bookstore which gave her the chance to write different sorts of books equivalent to different pay according to its kind. As a man, she uses the name of her brother, Kim Yoon Shik.

Kim Yoon Hee and Gu Yong Ha met for the first time at the bookstore.

Gu Yong Ha (Yeorim), a senior Sungkyunkwan scholar, was believed by all to have come from a yangban* family.

(*person belonging to the noble class)

As the story progresses, Kim Yoon Hee met the talented and handsome Lee Sun Joon. Lee Sun Joon was the only son of jwasang (Left State Minister). Seeing the talent of Kim Yoon Shik, Lee Sun Joon forced him to take the entrance exam with him at the Sungkyunkwan University. Only men were allowed to enter Sungkyunkwan University because Sungkyunkwan scholars were the future rulers of their country. Therefore, women have no right to enter the said university.

Fortunately, both of them passed the exam and at the university, they were assigned in the same sleeping quarter (Center Room 2).

Students like Lee Sun Joon were preferably transferred to the Western Dormitories where scholars like him stayed. But he insisted to stay at the room where he was assigned because he said that he was just following the rules. He was assigned to that room, so he must follow. This awakened the rage of the student body president, Ha In Soo. At that time, Yeorim was at his side. So, Yeorim called and asked his ten-year close friend, and considered as the aggressive and the most feared scholar, Moon Jae Shin (Geol Oh), to get rid of Lee Sun Joon and transfer him to the West Dormitories. But, Lee Sun Joon still refused, and Geol Oh slept at Center Room 2 hoping that Lee Sun Joon would soon leave. Then, the three of them eventually became room mates.

Geol Oh was the first one to find out about the secret of Kim Yoon Shik. But even at the beginning of the story, Yeorim was always wondering about it but had not been able to confirm it. It took some time for Lee Sun Joon to find out, but when he found out about it, he and Geol Oh always had some sort of silent fight. When Geol Oh was with Kim Yoon Shik, Lee Sun Joon would obviously act jealous, and same with Geol Oh. Yeorim, being the most observant among all the scholars noticed this and was able to confirm to himself that Kim Yoon Shik was really a woman.

(ღ˘⌣˘ღ)

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Jalgeum Quartet

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Park Yoo Chun as Lee Sun Joon (Ga Rang)

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Park Min Young as Kim Yoon Shik/Hee (Dae Mul)

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Yoo Ah In as Moon Jae Shin (Geol Oh)

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Song Joong Ki as Gu Yong Ha (Yeorim)

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OST track list

♥) 성균관 스캔들 / Sungkyunkwan Scandal >> listen
♥) 찾았다 (Found You) – 유천 (Yoochun), 준수 (Junsu), 재중 (Jaejoong) >> listen

♥) 그대를 그리다 (Drawing You) – 연정 (Yeon Jeong) >> listen

♥) Too Love – 준수 (Junsu) >> listen
♥) 너에겐 이별 나에겐 기다림 (For You It’s Separation, To Me It’s Waiting) – 재중 (Jaejoong) >> listen

♥) 청춘스캔들 (Youth Scandal) – 이민영 (Lee Min-Yeong) >> listen

♥) Sad To Say – 동욱 (Kim Dong Wook) >> listen
♥) 사랑이란 – 정선아 (Love is) – Jung Sun A >> listen
♥) 그대를 그리다 (Drawing You) Acoustic Ver – 나라 (Dara) >> listen

♥) 너에겐 이별 나에겐 기다림 (For You It’s Separation, To Me It’s Waiting) Voice Ver – K >> listen

♥) 자운영 (Chinese Milk Vetch) >> listen

♥) TROUBLE MAKER >> listen
♥) 유생들의 나날 (The daily lives of Confucianists) >> listen

♥ track list source ♥

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Quotes

One thing I can say is that I like the quotes in this drama. And I would be real glad to share some of the quotes. (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)

"The most foolish man in the world is the man who boasts of his wisdom."

- Jwasang (Left State Minister)

"When losers gather, they are merry."

- the Sungkyunkwan Chancellor

"The place where the learning is headed and where the nation begins."

- the clue to finding the Geum Deung Ji Sa

written by former professor Kim Seung Hun, Kim Yoon Shik's father

Gu Yong Ha

♥ "I am Gu Yong Ha."

♥ "Do you know that I'm the most fashionable dresser in Joseon?"

♥ "For the body to react faster than the mind, it's not like Lee Sun Joon."

♥ "In learning, there is no discrimination and everyone is equal."

A quote from Wei Linggong's Chapter of the Analects.

Moon Jae Shin

♥ "People become cowardly because they have someone they wish to protect."

Lee Sun Joon

♥ "Seek not personal gain, but pursue justice.

Gain friends through loyalty.

Do not hesitate to sacrifice even one's own life, for righteousness' sake.

This is a true man."

(from Jwasang, his father)

♥ "If there's an easy road and a difficult road, choose the difficult one. Then, if you may not always succeed, you won't have any regrets."

♥ "If the compass needle isn't on guard against itself and no longer wavers, it cannot point in the right direction."

Kim Yoon Shik/Hee

♥ "It really is a great thing, father. To meet good friends, share thoughts, and proceed in achieving our goals. I saw the glimpse of hope not seen in books."

♥ "Once you back down, you'll back down twice to hide the first. Before you know it, you'll stand confused among your zigzagged footprints, even forgetting the direction that you first intended to take."

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The fight between Ha In Soo and Gu Yong Ha

Ha In Soo: Gu Yong Ha, born and raised on Woonjong Street to a prestigious, moneyed family, is in fact merely the son of a joongin* merchant.
Maintaining the pretense of a noble with your fancy clothes,
how long do you plan to keep it up?
(*non-nobility middle class)

Gu Yong Ha: I am not a yangban*. My family comes from a long line of merchants. We're a joongin household. A grandfather who served as an official of the Ministry of Justice and Punishment, I never had. My father, in order to pass onto his son a decent family, bought a genealogy. No. To be precise, he bought the pretense of a yangban. And that is the person you see before your eyes . . . me.

(*person belonging to the noble class)

I'm telling you that your little threats won't work on me anymore, Ha In Soo.

Because this is Sungkyunkwan.

And I'm Gu Yong Ha.

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♥   (｡◕‿◕｡)   ♥