KDrama Preview: Invincible Lee Pyung Kang

The new drama, Invincible Lee Pyung Kang [천하무적 이평강], is scheduled to premier on 11/9 after the conclusion of KBS’ The Queen Returns.  The drama, loosely based on the popular Korean folktale, Princess Pyung Kang and the Foolish Ohn Dal, follows Pyung Kang (Nam Sang Mi, Gourmet, Time Between Dog and Wolf), an aspiring golf course designer.  While working side jobs at a golf resort, she meets an incompetent Ohn Dal (Ji Hyun Woo, My Sweet Seoul), the eldest son of the resort owner.

Vying for Pyung Kang’s love is Edward (Seo Do Young, Friend Our Legend, Spring Waltz), a professional golfer turned course designer. It also stars Park Ki Woong (Story of a Man), as an orphan, who loses his ability to speak after losing his parents, and uses music and rap to express himself. Kim Heung Soo and Cha Ye Ryun fill out the cast as Ohn Dal’s greedy stepbrother, and an actress.

The series boasts a pretty talented cast, but I’m confused about all the different characters. But I guess we’ll see what happens. The series is written by Park Kye Ok, who’s previous work, Cain and Abel, was also confusing to say the least.

Here are a couple of stills and the recently posted video of the cast dancing to what else, “Abracadabra”.

For some additional fun, here’s a short synopsis of the folktale, “Princess Pyung Kang and the Fool Ohn Dal.” The story is based on true events.

During the Goguryeo dynasty, there lived a very poor man named Ohn Dal. Even though he had a hard life taking care of his blind mother, he would always walk around town town cheerfully. This earned him the name, “Foolish Ohn Dal.” In the palace, there lived a princess named Pyung Kang, who cried all the time. Because she wouldn’t stop crying, the King would make fun of her and threaten to marry her off to Foolish Ohn Dal.

On her 16th birthday, the King wanted her to marry a high ranking officer. However, Princess Pyung Kang decided to take her life into her own hands, and declared that she would marry Ohn Dal as the King had said all throughout her life. She took her jewelry, and left the palace to find Ohn Dal and marry him.

With the jewels that she had brought from the palace, she helped Ohn Dal to purchase a plot of land, a new house, cows, and horses to start their new life. Although she had lived in the palace all her life, she was smart and knew a lot about the ways of the land. She taught Ohn Dal how to read and write, ride a horse, and shoot arrows.

Ohn Dal became a different man after marrying Pyung Kang. He started entering the King’s annual hunting contest, and came in first place. In order to win the acknowledgment of the King, Ohn Dal promises to take back the land taken by the Shilla Dynasty. Ohn Dal, through his heroic act, becomes a general and wins the love of everyone in the land.

Via Newsen, Newsen, YonHapNews