South Korean actress Lee Young-ae has revisited the set of popular South Korean drama, Jewel In The Palace (2003 to 2004). In the show, she played the protagonist Jang-geum, a woman who rises from palace cook to royal physician.
Lee posted on Instagram on March 16 several photos along with the caption: “It’s been so long, Jang-geum. I’m so happy to see you that I’m tearing up and feeling emotional.”
The 55-year-old shared her location as Oedolgae on Jeju Island, one of the main filming locations of Jewel In The Palace, which is also known as Dae Jang Geum.
In the photos, the actress was seen posing with a poster of the show and a standee of her character.
Lee became a household name in Asia after starring in the 54-episode historical drama. The show is often cited as one of the South Korean drama series that heralded the Hallyu (Korean wave) of television shows and pop music which has swept across the region in the past two decades.
The actress won the Grand Prize (Daesang) for the role of Jang-geum at the 2003 MBC Drama Awards and was nominated for Best Actress – Television at the Baeksang Arts Award in 2004.
Lee took a break from acting after 2005 and married Korean-American businessman Jeong Ho-yeong in 2009. The couple have twin children, a boy and a girl, aged 15.
Lee recently starred in South Korean crime thriller television series Walking On Thin Ice (2025) with actors Kim Young-kwang and Park Yong-woo.
She has also been cast in an upcoming drama, with the working title Uinyeo Dae Jang Geum. Kim Young-hyun, the screenwriter of Jewel In The Palace, said in a press statement in February 2024 that the new drama is neither a sequel nor a spin-off of the original series. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
