Hong Gil Dong

Hong Gil Dong is a South Korean drama airing on KBS2, starting from January 2, 2008, every Wednesday and Thursday. It is set in historical times with much modern influences and comedic tones.

This drama is very loosely based on Hong Gil Dong, a fictional book about a Robin Hood in Korea, and the time period it was set in.

Hong Gil Dong is the illegitimate son of a minister. He is very bright and smart, however was told that he could not accomplish anything in this world, due to his illegitimate status. Thus he grew up spending most of his time being lazy and causing trouble for the people around him. However, a local monk thinks he is destined to be much more, and has taught Gil Dong martial arts. As the series progresses, Gil Dong realizes the severity of the injustices of the ranked world, and starts to fight against these injustices, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.

Heo Yi Nok is an upbeat, naive and carefree girl. At the beginning of the series, she arrives from China with her grandfather, who has raised her. She meets and befriends Gil Dong. Yi Nok has a past she is unaware of: she does not know her grandfather is not her blood-related grandfather, and that her real parents were murdered. She eventually develops feelings for Gil Dong, who reciprocates her feelings.

Lee Chang Hwi also has arrived in Korea from China at the beginning of the series. He seems cold and calculating, as he also has a dark past in which his older brother, the current king of Joseon (Korea), tried to murder him. Chang Hui is planning a revolution, in which he tries to overthrow the king and takes his place as, he believes, the rightful king of Joseon. He coincidentally bumps into both Gil Dong and Yi Nok. Both Gil Dong and Yi Nok help Chang Hui realize what it takes to become a good king. He forges an alliance with Gil Dong and develops feelings for Yi Nok.

As the question of rightful succession comes into play, Hong Gil Dong and Yi Nok are forced to take sides, all the while having to deal with their own personal problems: their love, Gil Dong with his father issues, Yi Nok with her murdered parents and their revenge.

Lie To Me

The series revolves around a civil servant named Gong Ah-jung (played by Yoon) who pretends to be the wife of the wealthy hotel heir, Hyun Ki-joon (played by Kang) in order to impress her former friend. It is directed by Kim Soo-ryung and Kwon Hyuk-chan, produced by Jo Sung-won and written by Kim Ye-ri. On its first airing it ranked 20th nationwide.

Gong Ah-jung (Yoon Eun-hye) is a fifth-level government employee of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. At the beginning of the series, Ah-jung lies to an antagonistic friend about being married as a form of revenge. The lie quickly snowballs (due to several misunderstandings) until Ah-jung realizes that everyone is gossiping about her supposed, secret marriage to Hyun Ki-joon (Kang Ji-hwan), the very wealthy president of World Hotel.

As the rumour spreads, a miserable Ki-joon is forced to combat the rumors to his friends as he decides a plan of action in getting Ah-jung to correct her lie. Ki-joon and Ah-jung decide to take action to squash the rumors, with Ah-jung agreeing to call together her friends so she can confess her discretion. When this doesn't go as planned, Ki-joon decides to take legal action against Ah-jung. However, after a series of events that bond the pair together, they both agree that pretending to be married for a short while would be mutually beneficial though Ki-joon promises that Ah-jung's lie is not forgiven and that he will eventually go ahead and follow through with his lawsuit.

Things become even more complicated when Ki-joon's ex-fiance, and a close friend of his brother Oh Yoon-joo, returns from France. After a friend of Ah-jung sees Ki-joon and Yoon-joo together and raises suspicious of infidelity to Ah-jung (and leaves Ah-jung embarrassed), Ah-jung forces Ki-joon to promise that he will not be caught with any women for the duration of their sham marriage.

Ki-joon and Ah-jung grow closer and more fond of one another over the duration of their marriage and Ki-joon finds himself questioning his commitment to his former fiance Yoon-joo. Eventually, however, Ki-joon makes the decision to be with Ah-jung despite the heartache he is sure to cause his ex lover.