From 'Jang Nok-su' to 'Empress Myeongseong'... Playwright Jeong Hayeon, Who Portrayed the Human Side of History, Dies

From "Jang Nok-su" to "Shindon" and "Queen Insu"... Playwright who led traditional epic historical dramas
Made her literary debut with a play in 1968... Worked across film, contemporary drama and cultural history series
"I wanted to deal with ideas, not events"... Explored human choices and conflicts throughout history
She was 82... Funeral service at Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, with the funeral procession on November 4

Women who gained and lost power at the king’s side, and reformers who dreamed of an ideal only to see it dashed. Playwright Jeong Hayeon (born Jeong Yeon), who brought to the small screen figures who appear only briefly in history books by giving them desires and anguish, died on November 1. She was 82.

Writer Jeong Hayeon (born Jeong Yeon), who penned landmark Korean historical dramas such as *Wang-gwa Bi*, *Myeongseong Hwanghu* and *Sindon*, died on the 1st at the age of 82. The late writer was known for her nuanced portrayals of power and human desire throughout history. The Asia Business Daily DB.

According to the Korea Broadcasting Writers Association and her family on November 2, she had gone to a hospital emergency room on October 31 due to a chronic illness and passed away at around 3 p.m. the following day, surrounded by family and friends.

Born in Anak, Hwanghae Province, in 1944, she was active in Yonsei University’s Yeonhui Drama and Arts Research Society. She made her literary debut in 1968 when her play "Sanullim" was selected for the Seoul Shinmun New Year Literary Contest. That same year, "The Rainbow Falls," followed by "Fantasy Murder" the next year, won playwriting competitions in succession, drawing attention to her as a playwright.

In the 1970s, she wrote screenplays for films starring Shin Seong-il, including "A Story of Love" (1971), "Love Classroom" (1971), "The Horse and the Lady" (1976) and "Bottom of the Ninth, Glory" (1977). She later expanded her work into radio dramas and television, including KBS's "Hometown of Legends" and "TV Literature," establishing herself as a television dramatist.

What brought her name to the public’s attention was the historical drama series she wrote from the mid-1990s onward. Beginning with "Jang Nok-su" (1995), she wrote "Jo Gwangjo" (1996), "The King and the Queen" (1998–2000), "Empress Myeongseong" (2001–2002), "Shindon" (2005–2006) and "Queen Insu" (2011–2012), helping lead a golden age of traditional Korean historical dramas.

At the heart of her work was not so much the rise and fall of dynasties as the choices and desires of people living at the center of power. "Jang Nok-su," "The King and the Queen," "Empress Myeongseong" and "Queen Insu" foregrounded the lives of women seeking to gain or hold on to power amid the turbulence of palace politics. "Jo Gwangjo" and "Shindon" portrayed the ideals and eventual disillusionment of reformers who dreamed of a new order but ran up against the realities of power.

In an interview during the 2005 MBC broadcast of "Shindon," she said, "I wanted to deal with ideas, not events." She said she did not consider the failed reforms of Shindon and King Gongmin to be failures. Her view of history was that even ideals that were never realized in one era leave their mark on the next.

Her perspective on power in history also carried over into contemporary dramas. "Desire on the Sand" (1992), "Sea of Desire" (1997) and "Flames of Desire" (2010) depicted how obsession with success and wealth can disrupt human relationships. "Dancing Gayageum" (1990) explored the artistic spirit of a master gayageum player, while "Wife" (2003) and "Sweet Life" (2008) dealt with family and marital conflicts, love and loss.

She also left behind works dramatizing modern Korean cultural history. "Myeongdong Baekjak" (2004), part of EBS's cultural history series, portrayed the lives of writers and artists in Myeongdong in the 1950s. "Even Now, Marronnier" (2005) shed light on youth culture and the spirit of the times on university campuses in the 1960s.

She emphasized the role of the playwright even amid competition for ratings. While writing "Shindon," she urged younger writers not to chase ratings alone and become merchants, but to become writers who portray life without losing the joy of writing.

She received the Writer Award at the 1999 KBS Drama Awards for "The King and the Queen," and won the Korea Broadcasting Producers Award for Writing the following year. Her final drama was MBC's "Let's Hold Hands Tightly and Watch the Sunset" (2018).

She is survived by her son, Jeong Yodong, and daughter, Jeong Yosuk, among others. Her funeral will be held in Room 5 of the funeral hall at Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, from 9 a.m. on November 2. The funeral procession will take place on November 4.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.