| The Great Merchant | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Also known as | Merchant Kim Man-deok |
| Genre | Period drama Romance |
| Written by | Kim Jin-suk Kang Da-young |
| Directed by | Kang Byung-taek Kim Seong-yoon |
| Starring | Lee Mi-yeon Han Jae-suk Park Sol-mi Ha Seok-jin Go Doo-shim |
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Original language | Korean |
| No. of episodes | 30 |
| Production | |
| Producers | Park Ki-ho Yoo Gun-shik |
| Production location | Korea |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | Saturdays and Sundays at 20:40 (KST) |
| Original release | |
| Network | KBS1 |
| Release | 6 March – 13 June 2010 |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
The Great Merchant (Korean: 거상 김만덕; Hanja: 巨商金萬德; RR: Geosang Gim Mandeok; lit. Merchant Kim Man-deok) is a 2010 South Korean historical drama starring Lee Mi-yeon,[1] Han Jae-suk, Park Sol-mi,[2] Ha Seok-jin, and Go Doo-shim. It aired on KBS1 from March 6 to June 13, 2010 on Saturdays and Sundays at 20:40 for 30 episodes.
The series follows the life of Kim Man-deok (1739-1812). Kim was born on Jeju Island. Adopted by the head of a gisaeng house at the age of 12, she became a government gisaeng ― a type of Korean traditional entertainer who is designated and reserved specifically for government officials. After discovering a talent in business and commerce, she later became one of the most successful female merchants on the island.
When Jeju was struck by a deadly famine in 1795 (the 19th year of King Jeongjo, Kim sold all her assets and donated approximately 90% of her money (approximated to be ₩70 billion in today's currency) to save millions of lives. Kim was later praised by numerous scholars and philosophers, which was notable given her background as a gisaeng and the fact that she saved the people of Jeju Island, a place that was considered a place of exile at the time. Kim's heroic deeds were documented in Jeongjo Sillok ("The Annals of King Jeongjo") in 1796, and was even featured as a folktale called Mandeok-jeon ("The Story of Man-deok").[3][4] In 1978, a memorial was created for Kim Man-deok on Jeju Island, and annually Jeju Island presents the "Man-deok Award" to two outstanding women in philanthropy.[5]
The drama features Kim's life and achievements, along with her ongoing rivalry with fellow merchants during the Joseon Dynasty.[6]
This is the second of the "noblesse oblige" series produced by KBS in 2010, after The Reputable Family. The third and last part of the series was Freedom Fighter, Lee Hoe-young, which aired on the anniversary of the centenary of the Forced Annexation of Korea by Japan in 2010.[6]
- ^ "Lee Mi-yeon Ventures into Uncharted Waters". The Chosun Ilbo. 20 March 2010. Archived from the original on 2022-10-25. Retrieved 2013-03-30.
- ^ Lee, Woo-young (17 June 2011). "Han Jae-seok, Park Sol-mi in a romantic relationship". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2013-03-29.
- ^ Han, Sang-hee (2 March 2010). "Two Heroes to Captivate Drama Fans". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-03-30.
- ^ Oh, Jean (9 March 2010). "Will family fare still dominate weekend ratings?". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on 2016-11-14. Retrieved 2013-03-30.
- ^ Erwin, Nicole (28 October 2009). "Kim Man-deok: A symbol of generosity". The Jeju Weekly. Archived from the original on 2011-12-19. Retrieved 2013-03-30.
- ^ a b Han, Sang-hee (29 December 2009). "TV Dramas to Look Forward to in 2010". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 2014-02-21. Retrieved 2013-03-30.