“A nuisance?”
“Since this black sword is part of Lee Young’s inheritance, we can justify inviting Lee Young, rather than other royals, to the overseas tour to the public.
On the other hand, this means Lee Young might actually have to go on an overseas tour. If he goes to one country, others will follow… it’ll be a chain reaction. There are still more monarchies left in the world than you think.”
“Should we say he can’t fly? That he has a fear of heights?”
That was the director’s alternative.
He’s been on several overseas performances, why suddenly now?
Kim Woo-jin brought the long meeting to a close.
“We should see how the President’s office reacts to the numerous overseas invitations before we move. For now, let’s focus on domestic activities.”
“Alright. Let’s find a good solution, whatever it may be. I heard the national petition is full, so the President won’t be able to push it through forcefully.”
* * *
On the day of the Gyeongbokgung Palace shoot, I went to the salon early in the morning to get my hair tied in a topknot, put on a gat (traditional Korean hat), and dress in a durumagi (traditional Korean overcoat). Since I hadn’t cut my hair, it was easier to tie it up.
I shouldn’t get used to this.
Gyeongbokgung Palace was quiet since it was a closed day, but I was tense throughout the morning shoot. I told Kim Woo-jin and Baek- mung, the two spirits, to keep a close watch in case of another attack that could endanger the staff.
But nothing happened, even by lunchtime. When I handed out kimbap from a famous kimbap restaurant to the staff, they flocked to the convenience store to eat it with cup noodles.
I spread out a mat under a tree where the red plum blossoms were in full bloom and sat down, putting a piece of kimbap in my mouth.
Jang Ha-un and Lee Geon were busy looking around Gyeongbokgung Palace. They said that when they were alive, Gyeongbokgung Palace was not used as a palace and was difficult to access.
“Gyeongbokgung Palace was burned down during the Imjin War and was left unreconstructed, so tigers took up residence inside.”
They said the country didn’t have enough money to rebuild the palace.
“I don’t know if the restoration was done well since I don’t know what it looked like before, but it’s good to see its dignified appearance.”
“It lacks the charm of Changdeokgung Palace, but it’s wide and has a vast spirit.”
I was listening to the two ghosts’ reviews of Gyeongbokgung Palace when I heard a sound.
I waved my hand in the air, and Jang Ha-un and Lee Geon hid themselves.
The film crew was approaching from afar after finishing their
“Oh, Lee Young, you were here. We were looking for you.”
“What’s wrong?”
Has an evil spirit appeared?
As I hurriedly packed up the mat, the staff ran over and surrounded me.
“There’s a commotion in front of Gwanghwamun Gate.”
“Yes?”
Is someone possessed by an evil spirit and causing a stabbing?
Then, should I get rid of the evil spirit in front of people, or should I not? My mind was complicated for a moment.
But it wasn’t an evil spirit.
“Confucian scholars, no, those scholars are sitting on straw mats and protesting.”
“Scholars?”
“They’re saying why a royal has to sing and dance like a clown at another country’s king’s birthday, that it’s not right.”
“My job is a singer, though.”
“Yeah, but still. You’re not just any singer. And it’s that country of all places.”
“Shouldn’t Lee Young go outside?”
“But aren’t they blocking rallies in Gwanghwamun these days? Why did they allow it?”
Kim Woo-jin, who appeared among the staff who were continuing the story, took the mat that was in my hand and said.
“It’s the first method I mentioned.”
Kim Woo-jin first visited the Royal Family Association.
Fortunately, the Royal Family Association’s purpose and Kim Woo-jin’s proposal coincided well.
So the Royal Family Association was able to move some organizations, including the Jeonju Lee Clan Association. Of course, Song Lee Young’s surname isn’t Jeonju Lee.
* * *
In front of Gwanghwamun Gate, people wearing dopo (traditional Korean robe) and gat were sitting on straw mats.
The wailing coming from their mouths at the same time could be heard even inside Gyeongbokgung Palace.
“”Aigoo, aigoo””
I, who only knew rallies as holding colorful flags, wearing vests, and shouting into megaphones, was wide-eyed at the wailing coming from outside.
{It seems they are imitating what the Sungkyunkwan students used to do.}
They must have wailed when protesting in the old days.
“I was wondering what the wailing was.”
“They say people gathered and wailed like that when the country was about to fall.”
“People are gathering to watch the people sitting on the mats. Some are just watching, and some are cheering.”
The director joined in late and said.
“I’m glad we got all the sound we needed in the morning. Let’s wrap up early today.”
“Yes!”
As the film crew, excited by the news of leaving early, scattered to pack up their equipment, the director approached me.
“If Lee Young is here, people might say you gathered people on purpose.”
“Ah, I didn’t think of that. I’m sorry. We still have things to film, but you have to come out again because of me.”
“No, it’s better than the situation getting worse and not being able to use what we filmed. Working with the Cultural Heritage
Administration is good, but things can be overturned by those higher-ups or public opinion. Anyway, go back without being seen.”
* * *
I came home and watched the scene of the rally in front of Gwanghwamun Gate being reported on the news. Jang Ha-un and Lee Geon watched the screen and gave supplementary explanations.
“I went outside Gwanghwamun Gate when I heard the wailing earlier.”
“You went out?”
“Yes. I was curious, and Ikwi also said let’s go. It seemed like the students were wailing and protesting.”
“The clothes were a bit strange, but I understood since time has passed. I heard that a new era has opened quite a while ago, but it was impressive to see them not forgetting their ancestors and imitating their methods to express their opinions.”
“Wailing and protesting?”
Is that a political party name? Ah, I learned about factions in history class, is it like that?
“Protesting refers to the collective actions of Sungkyunkwan students. I learned through broadcast materials that even in modern times, students studying at universities held rallies to protest against the president’s dictatorship. You can think of it as similar to that.”
“But in this era, they repeat slogans and stick out their fists like this.”
Jang Ha-un showed the action of clenching his fist and extending his arm into the air.
Lee Geon nodded and continued.
“Instead of shouting, the Confucian scholars of the Joseon Dynasty wrote petitions and submitted them, and when they protested, they wore mourning clothes and wailed. That’s called wailing and protesting.”
“Isn’t mourning clothes worn at funerals?”
“It’s to appeal that they feel the crisis of the country falling as much as their parents have passed away. Because the intentions of the Sadaebu were behind these actions of the Sungkyunkwan students, the king could not ignore them.”
“But weren’t there too many protests? They wailed at everything…”
“What’s the point of lamenting the past? Let’s just tell you about wailing and protesting now.”
“…Yes, I understand.”
Jang Ha-un, who had become discouraged, turned his gaze back to the TV.
An interview with a person who said he belonged to the Royal Family Association was being shown on the news against the background of the Gwanghwamun rally scene.
– “It is clear that other countries intend to insult the descendants of the royal family, but they should not be forced to accompany them even though they know this. Even the previous dictatorial regime brought in the descendants of the royal family who had been expelled to other countries and allowed them to live in Nakseonjae in Changdeokgung Palace.”
Ah, even in modern times, descendants of the royal family lived in Changdeokgung Palace.
– “But in the 21st century Republic of Korea, is it okay to force this on ordinary people? Most of the people don’t even know that the Royal Family Association exists. That’s how much we don’t do anything other than historical commemorative projects and live the same as ordinary people. We’re not asking you to protect the descendants of the ruined country. We’re asking you to treat us the same as citizens of the Republic of Korea.”
– “That’s right!”
There were several voices together, as if there were people around the person being interviewed.
I turned to Lee Geon and Jang Ha-un and asked again.
“That person is also a royal…”
“I don’t feel anything.”
Was it because of the Four Tiger Sword that these two spirits woke up?
* * *
The rally in Gwanghwamun, which claimed to be a traditional cultural event, continued every day.
It was a mystery why the Seoul Metropolitan Government approved the rally disguised as a cultural event.
“The President and the Mayor of Seoul are from the same party, but their lines are different.”
They’re on the same side, but they’re not close.
Anyway, the wailing and protesting in Gwanghwamun received a lot of attention from domestic and foreign reporters, and it became famous not only in Korea but also overseas.
Foreign media companies were looking for Korean history experts to explain the clothes of the people wailing and protesting and the history of such rallies.
In response, the people participating in the wailing and protesting were even more excited and gathered in Gwanghwamun.
With the addition of domestic and foreign spectators, there was even talk of attracting tourists.
[Lee Young appears in the Cultural Heritage Administration video at landmarks around the world]
When the attention was focused on the wailing and protesting, the Cultural Heritage Administration’s promotional video began to be broadcast.
The new promotional video featuring me was shown in more places than the existing promotional videos.
This was thanks to the extraordinary support of Kim Woo-jin’s grandfather, Kim Ho-cheol, who is the chairman of HC Group.
In Korea, it was first broadcast at the COEX Crown Media Facade and Incheon Airport Terminal.
Overseas, promotional videos were shown at landmarks such as the representative airports of UNESCO’s 200 member countries, Piccadilly Circus in London, England, Taikoo Li area in Chengdu, China, Duomo Square in Milan, Italy, Callao Square in Madrid, Spain, Shibuya Street in Japan, and Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
Some of the domestic public said, ‘Is that a promotional video for Changdeokgung Palace tourism or a Lee Young pictorial?’ but most of them had positive reactions.
[Beautiful Lee Young in a beautiful palace]
The fan cafe was plastered with similar posts, and the fans seemed to be in a better mood than ever.
So I turned on a live video to watch the promotional video with the fans.
“Hello Creams! Today, I’m going to watch the Cultural Heritage Administration promotional video that was uploaded this time. Some
Creams may have already seen it, but I thought it would be good to watch it together and talk about it.”
– Lee Young, you are amazing
– Of course I saw it, but it’s more fun to watch it together. And I’ll watch it a thousand times more in the future
– I never get tired of watching it
– Why does Lee Young look so good with the palace?
– Tell us a fun story while filming
– What’s today’s TMI?
– Korean Creams as well as overseas Creams came in and continued chatting actively.
– Why isn’t Baek-mung in the video together? You posted a picture on Instagram
{There are those who are looking for me?}
“Baek-mung was rejected by the director.”
– Why? He’s cute
– The director is too much ππ
“So I even tried putting a jobawi (traditional Korean winter hat) on him, but they said no, so I couldn’t film with him. But he was with me on set instead of Creams.”- Baek-mung, share your eyes TT
{What is eye sharing?”}
It means they want Baek-mung’s eyes.
{…They have cruel sides.}
– Do you know that the number of views of the video is going up really fast? Comments are being posted in various languages around the world
The number of views of the video uploaded to the video site with servers overseas was explosive.
People interested in Korean tourism, people who know about the mysterious damage to Korean cultural properties, and K-POP overseas fans watched the video.
[Who is he?]
The comment ‘Who is he?’, which always appears when K-POP performances are broadcast live around the world, was also posted several times.
It was a word that foreigners used to ask when they liked that idol, and it was used like a meme in Korea.