Tree with Deep Roots - The Musical

Tree with Deep Roots (뿌리깊은 나무) has finally released its musical apart from its hit drama aired in SBS channel in 2011. The drama itself has won several awards from Dae-Sang given to veteran actor Han Suk Kyu and Best Director as well. I was a bit skeptical when I first saw its trailer but something caught my attention was Song Joongki portraying as the young Prince Lee Do - the younger version of King Sejong. 

So what is tree with deep roots about? The drama depicts a lot of serial killings during the reign of King Sejong and the murders took place days before the announcement of Hangul alphabets (Hunminjeongeum) introduced to the public. The musical is practically quite the same as the drama written by novelist Lee Jung Myung. This novel was rather a best selling novel and also the ratings of the drama soared higher as it goes. 

The stage play highlights the life and the love of King Sejong for his people to educate and make them literate. For years they have been using and learning the Chinese characters. So Sejong decided to invent their own script and language by using the sounds and vowels of our mouth when we speak. In one word- Sejong is the creator!

The story begins with the murders of Jiphyeonjeon scholars, who were main key players of Hangeul’s creation. While investigating the murders, we are led to discover the underlying power struggle between the conservative nobilities wanting to maintain the status and a group of young reformers who wanted to change the world. 

The show’s main theme runs through a very interesting, suspenseful story, so that the audience is totally absorbed in the musical and moved by its conclusion. There is the musical actor Kim Do Bin who plays as Kang Chae Yun (orginally played by Jang Hyuk in the drama) who helps Sejong to solve the murder cases. Chae Yun becomes a bodyguard in the palace and was given a task to investigate the problem. The killer turned out to be one of the members of Jiphyeonjeon, Shim Jong Su. When everyone suspects it was Choi Mal-li, it was the politically ambitious Shim who made a secret pact with the Ming Dynasty and killed his fellow scholars. That was the big surprise of the musical. Ta-dah!

The musical 'Tree with Deep Roots' combines historical facts and imagination to highlight King Sejong’s crowning achievement of Hangeul creation. In addition, the musical placed a spotlight on the agony the king suffered during the process. This event has make Koreans realize The Great King Sejong’s deep love for his people and a true monarch.