The Tale of Lady Ok
The Tale of Lady Ok
Cheon Seung-hwi is a fictional character; no evidence has been made public that he corresponds to any specific real person in the actual fake-husband case. Gu Deok-i/Ok Tae-young is a fictional character created by reworking multiple motifs, not a character who directly depicts the real person in the 1607 incident.
OVERALL TRUTH BASIS · Inspired reconstruction
A faction historical drama directly inspired by the 1542 Martin Guerre case in France and the 1607 impostor-husband case in Joseon, as well as Yuyeon-jeon, but with Gudeok-i, Cheon Seung-hwi, and most of the detailed narrative invented.
The 1542 Martin Guerre impostor-husband case
A 16th-century French identity-impersonation case in which Arnaud du Tilh impersonated the missing Martin Guerre, lived with his family, and was tried.
The 1607 Joseon impostor-husband case
A case in Joseon in 1607 in which an identity dispute arose after someone claimed that another person was their husband, leading to a trial; it is recorded by Yi Hang-bok.
FACT / FICTION
Verification 11
Fact / Fiction verification
11 recordsThe Tale of Lady Ok is a JTBC Saturday-Sunday drama that first aired on November 30, 2024.
On screen · Verified record
- On screen
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- Verified record
- JTBC's official teaser and script-reading pages state the premiere date.
View 1 sources
- 옥씨부인전 대본리딩 메이킹JTBC · Production material · Grade AOpen source →
It ended on January 26, 2025, and consists of 16 episodes.
On screen · Verified record
- On screen
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- Verified record
- JTBC's official finale page and behind-the-scenes information for episode 16 confirm this.
View 1 sources
- 옥씨부인전 종영/16화JTBC · Production material · Grade AOpen source →
JTBC explicitly identifies the impostor-husband case that took place in France in 1542 as one of the direct inspirations.
On screen · Verified record
- On screen
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- Verified record
- The official production intent mentions the case of Martin Guerre's return.
View 1 sources
- 옥씨부인전 프로그램 정보JTBC · Production material · Grade AOpen source →
JTBC also explicitly identifies an actual impostor-husband case from Joseon in 1607, during King Seonjo's reign, as a direct inspiration.
On screen · Verified record
- On screen
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- Verified record
- The official program information specifies the 1607 case.
View 1 sources
- 옥씨부인전 프로그램 정보JTBC · Production material · Grade AOpen source →
Yuyeon-jeon, written by Yi Hang-bok based on an actual case, was also used as source material for the drama's reinterpretation.
On screen · Verified record
- On screen
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- Verified record
- This is explained directly in JTBC's official production intent.
View 1 sources
- 옥씨부인전 프로그램 정보JTBC · Production material · Grade AOpen source →
Gudeok-i/Ok Tae-young is not a character who directly recreates the actual person from the 1607 case, but an invented character who reconfigures multiple inspirations.
On screen · Verified record
- On screen
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- Verified record
- JTBC describes the two actual cases as “inspirations” and presents Gudeok-i's story of survival as a separate narrative.
View 1 sources
- 옥씨부인전 프로그램 정보JTBC · Production material · Grade AOpen source →
Cheon Seung-hwi is an invented character for whom no evidence has been made public linking him to a specific real person in the actual impostor-husband case.
On screen · Verified record
- On screen
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- Verified record
- JTBC's official description presents a romance narrative featuring the entertainer Cheon Seung-hwi.
View 1 sources
- 옥씨부인전 대본리딩 메이킹JTBC · Production material · Grade AOpen source →
The detailed narrative in which the enslaved Gudeok-i lives as the yangban woman Ok Tae-young and works as a legal advocate cannot be regarded as a direct recreation of the actual 1607 case.
On screen · Verified record
- On screen
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- Verified record
- JTBC introduces the drama as a survival con story that reinterprets an actual case.
View 1 sources
- 옥씨부인전 프로그램 정보JTBC · Production material · Grade AOpen source →
The Martin Guerre case in France and the case related to Yuyeon-jeon in Joseon are separate actual cases, and the drama combines the two subjects.
On screen · Verified record
- On screen
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- Verified record
- JTBC's official production intent lists the two cases separately.
View 1 sources
- 옥씨부인전 프로그램 정보JTBC · Production material · Grade AOpen source →
Lim Ji-yeon plays Gudeok-i/Ok Tae-young, and Choo Young-woo plays Cheon Seung-hwi.
On screen · Verified record
- On screen
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- Verified record
- JTBC's official script-reading and behind-the-scenes materials confirm this.
View 1 sources
- 옥씨부인전 대본리딩 메이킹JTBC · Production material · Grade AOpen source →
JTBC's catch-up viewing and TVING streaming options are currently available.
On screen · Verified record
- On screen
- —
- Verified record
- JTBC's official page provides links to catch-up viewing and TVING streaming.
View 1 sources
- 옥씨부인전 종영/16화JTBC · Production material · Grade AOpen source →
CHARACTER ↔ PERSON
Characters and real people
구덕이/옥태영
Fictional composite character천승휘
Fictional characterSources used
- 옥씨부인전 대본리딩 메이킹JTBC · Production material · Grade AOpen source →
- 옥씨부인전 종영/16화JTBC · Production material · Grade AOpen source →
- 옥씨부인전 프로그램 정보JTBC · Production material · Grade AOpen source →