Gung Ye

Gung Ye (c. 869 - 24 July 918, ruled 901–918) was the king of the short-lived Hugoguryeo (901–918) (see Later Three Kingdoms) on the Korean peninsula. Although he was a member of the Silla royal family, he became a victim of the power struggle among the royal family members during the late 9th century. He became a rebel leader against the unpopular Silla government, which almost abandoned the affairs of their subjects for the struggle for power among royal family members.

Birth

The exact date of Gung Ye's birth is unknown, but records assume that he was a son of King Gyeongmun; his mother is said to be a beloved lady of the court.

According to legend, Gung Ye was born on the traditional holiday of Dano. The royal seer prophesied that a baby born on Dano would bring disaster to the nation, and the court officials and royal family members urged to the king to get rid of the infant. So the king ordered his servants to kill him. However, when the troops rushed to the residence of Gung Ye's mother, she threw her baby from the second floor, with her maid hiding in nearby bushes to catch the baby. Although her plot tricked the soldiers, the maid had accidentally poked the left eye of the baby, causing Gung Ye to lose one eye. She hid Gung Ye and raised him secretly; when she died, Gung Ye became a Buddhist monk at Sedalsa (세달사), a Buddhist temple.

Princess Hours

Princess Hours (Hangul: 궁; hanja: 宫; RR: Gung; lit. "Palace") is a 2006 South Korean romantic comedy television series, starring Yoon Eun-hye, Ju Ji-hoon, Kim Jeong-hoon and Song Ji-hyo. It is based on Korean manhwa Goong by Park So-hee. It aired on MBC from January 11 to March 30, 2006 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 24 episodes.

Princess Hours was one of MBC's most popular dramas of 2006, second only to Jumong. Overall, the show was the tenth most popular drama of 2006, according to TNS Media. Due to its success, a spin-off series, Prince Hours, was broadcast in 2007.

Plot

The show is set in an alternate, 21st-century Korea which has retained its monarchy and imperial family since 1945. The series focuses on the lives of Crown Prince Lee Shin of Korea, and his new bride, Chae-kyeong.

The series starts off with the news that Shin's father, Emperor Lee Hyeon of Korea, is seriously ill. There is a grim outlook on the King's health, driving the imperial family to find Shin a suitable consort that will allow him to ascend to the throne if the situation requires. Despite being in love with the ambitious and talented ballerina Hyo-rin (whom he initially proposed to and was rejected), Prince Shin eventually marries a commoner to whom he was betrothed by his grandfather, the late Emperor Seongjo, in an agreement with the girl's grandfather. His new wife is the headstrong yet lovable Chae-kyeong, and despite initially feeling nothing for each other, love eventually blossoms between the couple.