| Alt Name: | Yi San |
| Genre: | Historical |
| Country: | South Korea |
| Language: | Korean |
| Num Episodes: | 77 |
| Executive Producer: | Jo Joo |
| Producer: | Park Chang-shik |
| Camera: | Multi-camera |
| Runtime: | 70 minutes |
| Company: | Kim Jong-hak Production |
| Channel: | MBC TV |
| Hangul: | 이산 |
| Rr: | Yi San |
| Mr: | I San |
| Korean name | |
Yi San, also known as Lee San, Wind of the Palace,[1] is a 2007 South Korean historical drama, starring Lee Seo-jin and Han Ji-min.[2] It aired on MBC from September 17, 2007 to June 16, 2008 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55.[3] The series was directed by Lee Byung-hoon, who also created the award-winning television series Dae Jang Geum.[4]
Lee Seo-jin and Han Ji-min received recognition for their performances at the MBC Drama Awards.
The series dramatizes the life of Korea's King Jeongjo, the 22nd ruler of the Joseon Dynasty. Jeongjo is remembered in Korean history for his sympathy with the plight of the common man, in spite of his own pampered upbringing as royalty.
The drama begins with the King's early years, during which he befriends two children working in the Palace who are later expelled. King Yeongjo (Yi San's grandfather) seals San's father, Crown Prince Sado, in a rice chest with no food or water because he fears that the Crown Prince is planning a coup. San wants to save his father, and with the help of his friends Seong Song-yeon and Park Dae-su, begs King Yeongjo to forgive the Crown Prince.
The drama then skips forward to Jeongjo's adult years when he and his friends re-establish contact with each other. Throughout, his position as heir is threatened by palace intrigues.
Yi San begins to fall in love with one of his childhood friends, Seong Song-yeon, whose father, a palace artist, died when she was young. The story then follows his rise to power, his assumption of the kingship, and the labyrinthine palace intrigues that he must constantly guard against from the Noron Faction.
While the show does deviate from the historical record in a number of ways, its representation of court life during the Joseon Dynasty appears to be based on contemporary sources.
The main protagonist in the series. He is the only son of Crown Prince Sado and Lady Hyegyeong.
King Jeongjo's love interest. She is the daughter of a skilled palace artist and thus has a fondness for art.
King Jeongjo's favorite military officer.
Jeongjo's mother.
King Jeongjo's primary wife, born into the Cheongpung Kim clan.
Jeongjo's grandfather. He was the 21st King of Joseon before San took over.
King Yeongjo's second wife.
Yeongjo's beloved daughter.
Princess Hwawan's adoptive son.
King Jeongjo's right-hand man, as well as distant cousin to his mother, Lady Hyegyeong.
A scholar from the Confucian Academy and a member of the Namin Faction.
A damo at the Bureau of Painting.
Queen Jeongsun's older brother and a member of the Noron Faction.
San's chief eunuch.
San's administrative assistant and Minister of the Tribunal.
A Royal Artist at the Bureau of Painting.
Another Royal Artist at the Bureau of Painting.
The infant son of King Jeongjo and Ui-bin Seong who died at the age of four.
Song-yeon's little brother
King Jeongjo's father and Yeongjo's son
Yi San was popular and recorded a solid viewership rate (average) of 26.4% (Nationwide) and 28.6% (Seoul) and a peak of 35.3% (Nationwide) and 38.6% (Seoul)
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Top Excellence Award, Actor | [10] [11] | |||
| Excellence Award, Actress | |||||
| Best Teen Actor | |||||
| Best Writer | Kim Yi-young | ||||
| Viewer's Favorite Drama of the Year | Lee San, Wind of the Palace | ||||
| Popularity Award, Actor | |||||
| Popularity Award, Actress | |||||
| Best Couple Award | |||||
| 2008 | 2008 Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Director (TV) | [12] [13] | ||
| Best Actor (TV) | |||||
| Best New Actor (TV) | |||||
In Sri Lanka, the drama aired on Rupavahini dubbed in Sinhala from 7 July 2014 to 9 February 2015. Under the title, යහපත් මහරජ - Yahapath Maharaja