씨받이

When the scholar Jeong Yak-jeon is exiled to Heuksando Island during the Catholic Persecution of 1801, he decides to write a fish-based encyclopaedia.

Ma-nim (Kim Jeong-ah-II) becomes a widow after her husband dies from sickness and she arrives at Bukgando to get remarried. Her new husband is a handsome and wealthy man but he is killed by a Japanese even before she spends a night with him. Ma-nim is alone in the big house once again. Everyone by her husband's side leaves and only the grandfather and slave named Bau are left behind. One day, Ma-nim notices that Bau has a way of staring at her and she is overcome by a strange feeling. She'd to oppress her desires as a woman because of her two short marriages and strict identity. Bau had never made love with a woman before but she didn't mind his gaze on her. The two of them start a forbidden love behind grandfather's back...

When King Heon-kong falls ill, a power struggle erupts over who will inherit the throne. Tired of all the infighting, the ministers arrange for a branch of the king's family, which had lost all its wealth and was living on remote Ganghwa Island, to inherit. But the heir to the throne is reluctant to leave his island home.

When King Myeong-jong dies, his son takes the throne and the old king's concubines are expelled. One of the concubines becomes pregnant. Believing that only she knows the true father, she claims the unborn child is the former kings and has a claim to the throne. The enemies of the new king, ignoring facts, decide to support her claim and threaten to start a civil war.

In 1592, admiral Yi Sun-sin and his fleet face off against the might of the invading Japanese navy and its formidable warships. As the Korean forces fall into crisis, the admiral resorts to using his secret weapon, the dragon head ships known as geobukseon, in order to change the tide of this epic battle at sea.

Prince Yeonsan-gun turns into a tyrant out of grief for his mother's death. He orders beheadings of all the officials who displease him or who advised the previous king to depose the queen. He becomes crueler by the day. But in 10th year of his reign, he is kicked out of the throne and dies a tragic death.

The story of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, the turtle ship, and the crew aboard the ship, which unfolded for two months from the Battle of Hansan to the Battle of Busanpo during the 7-year period of the Japanese Invasion of Korea.

Kim Jeong-ho's father died due to an erroneous map. Because of this, Kim Jeong-ho has a strong desire to make his own map. He begins a complete block map of Joseon.

After Queen Shin is dethroned, a power struggle erupts among King Jung-jong's concubines who hope to take the queen's place. Song Min-dol, a eunuch who despises the way the court treats him, introduces his sister to the king in the hopes that she can claim the throne. However, he is unaware that by doing so, he has signed her death warrent and unintentionally causes the deaths of everyone he cares about

Ancient Korea, 17th century. The powerful Khan of the Jurchen tribe of Manchuria, who fights the Ming dinasty to gain China, becomes the first ruler of the Qing dinasty and demands from King In-jo of Joseon to bow before him; but he refuses, being loyal to the Mings. On December 14th, 1636, the Qing horde invades Joseon, so King In-jo and his court shelter in the mountain fortress of Namhan and prepare to defend the kingdom.

Queen Yun reigned with King Sunjong since she was just 13 years old. She hid the royal seals needed to complete an agreement between Korea and Japan which would lead to Korea's annexation. However, her patriotic display wins her many enemies.