'Jewel in the Palace' star Lee Young-ae celebrates 23-year bond with royal court cuisine mentor
Key Takeaways
- •Lee Young-ae posted social media photos on Thursday from a visit to the Institute of Korean Royal Cuisine, where she was pictured smiling and holding hands with Han Bok-ryeo.
- •Lee starred as Seo Jang-geum in the 2003 MBC drama "Jewel in the Palace," whose final episode attracted more than 50 percent of viewers nationwide and which was exported to dozens of countries.
- •Han Bok-ryeo created the dishes featured in the drama by drawing on historical documents and was recognized in 2007 as a holder of Joseon Dynasty Royal Court Cuisine skills, designated National Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 38.
- •The mentor-protégé bond between Lee and Han, formed through the drama, has lasted 23 years, with Lee still referring to Han as her mentor.
Actor Lee Young-ae, whose most iconic work is considered by many to be the drama “Jewel in the Palace,” has paid tribute to her more than 20-year bond with Han Bok-ryeo, the Korean royal court cuisine researcher who took part in the series.
On Thursday, the actor posted several photos on social media showing a visit to the Institute of Korean Royal Cuisine. In the images, she is seen wearing a blouse paired with a long skirt as she strolls around the institute, smiling while holding hands with Han.
“My mentor, royal court cuisine researcher Han Bok-ryeo. Thank you, and please always stay healthy,” Lee wrote, adding the hashtags “Jewel in the Palace” and “My mentor.”
Lee played the title character, Seo Jang-geum, in the MBC drama, which became a nationwide sensation in 2003. Known in Korea as “Dae Jang Geum,” the series follows a royal kitchen maid’s rise to become the king’s personal physician, a character inspired by a female medical officer recorded in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty. Its finale drew nationwide viewership above 50 percent, and the drama, exported to dozens of countries, is often credited with helping to spread the Korean Wave across Asia and beyond.
Han, a researcher specializing in royal court cuisine from the Joseon Dynasty, is known for creating the dishes featured in “Jewel in the Palace” by drawing on historical documents about traditional Korean cuisine. In 2007, she was officially recognized as a holder of the skills associated with Royal Court Cuisine of the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty, designated as National Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 38 — a status the Korean government awards to masters charged with transmitting endangered traditional skills to future generations. Han now heads the Institute of Korean Royal Cuisine, the institution Lee visited on Thursday.
The mentor-protégé bond formed between Lee and Han through the drama has endured for 23 years, with Lee still referring to the researcher as “my mentor” and expressing her affection for her.
Lee married Korean American businessman Jeong Ho-young, who is 20 years her senior, in 2009. The couple has twins, a son and a daughter.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.
