Under the Sun

Characters

NOTE: Any Korean word displayed here that has the letter "u" in it is pronounced like "oo".  So for example, "Insun" would bee "Insoon" or Prince "Yun" would be "Yoon."  Also, "Hui-bin" is pronounced "Hee-bin"

Characters

Yi Min Woo (King Taejun), 27 yrs. old—Chinese characters “珉” (pronounced as “Min” and meaning “jade”) and “雨” (pronounced as “Woo” and meaning “rain”) to come up with a name that means a “rainfall of jade.”  Min Woo is lonely and finds it so hard to trust others, especially with so many corrupted people around him.  He mostly keeps to himself except the times he confides to his eunuch or his bodyguard Hwan, his best friend. 

Aria Lee (Shim Myung Wol), 19 yrs. old—“myung” is “bright, clearness” while “wol” is “moon”.  She’s from the 21st century and travels back in time to the Yi Dynasty when South Korea was still known as Joseon.  She is clever and bright.  She is saved by gisaengs (courtesans) when she falls into a creek when she slips from a cliff.  

 Queen Insun, 25 yrs. old—the wife of Min Woo…they don’t like each other.  She is in love with Min Woo’s half-brother, Prince Yangwon.  Her family especially her father tries to usurp the throne and take over the country and replace Min Woo with Prince Yangwon.

Lee Hwan, 27 yrs. old—is Min Woo’s bodyguard and best friend.  He gets along well with the King.  He’s mostly quiet and reserved.  He is secretly in love with Aria.

Prince Yun, 22 yrs. old—Min Woo’s younger brother from their mother Royal Noble Consort Suk, whom their father had dearly loved which was why Min Woo was able to become king rather than Queen Dowager’s son, Prince Yangwon.  He is a rather carefree fellow who loves to hunt and shoot rather than keep up with his studies.  He gets along very well with his older brother and the two are close.  When he meets Aria, he instantly becomes attracted to her and openly admits his love for her. 

 Prince Yangwon, 26 yrs. old—He is the younger half-brother of Min Woo and they get along but he secretly harbors a dislike towards his brother.  He loves Queen Insun which fuels more hate towards his brother.  He has no interest in taking the throne though.

Princess Eun Hye, 17 yrs. old—Min Woo and Prince Yun’s younger sister whose mother died while giving birth to her.  She is just as carefree as Prince Yun, and, occasionally, can whine if she doesn’t get her way.  She is infatuated with Hwan and even though she doesn’t say it, even if it is blaringly obvious, she tries to show her affection in other ways much to the annoyance of Hwan.  Upon meeting Aria, she takes a great liking to her and she and Aria become good friends.

Queen Dowager Jeongsun—Prince Yangwon’s mother who is involved with the usurping of King Taejun’s throne as she wants her son to be the king and not the son of a concubine.  She had adopted Min Woo and picked out Queen Insun who is the daughter of her older brother.  She dislikes Aria at first but decides she might be of use when she notices that she could possibly become the King’s weakness.

Shim Woon Taek—a blind man who is a yangban that lives around the woods near the village Tohwadong.  He mistakes Aria as Myung Wol as her voice sounds like sounds like her. 

Royal Noble Consort Hui of the Han Clan, 24 yrs. old—is the second wife of Min Woo.  She is mostly known as “Hui-bin” though.  She had been appointed by Queen Dowager Jeongsun who wanted further control of Min Woo and have her make a son since he disliked the Queen so much to the point he won’t ever visit her quarters.  Feeling that he has to do his duty, he visits Hee-Bin’s quarters once in a while until she conceives but later it is a daughter, Princess Hyosung.  Min Woo stops visiting her though as he finds her to be shallow and unpleasant.  When Aria enters the palace, she becomes exceedingly jealous when she finds the King and her become closer.  She tries many ways to get her thrown out of the palace.

Princess Gongshin—Prince Yangwon’s older sister and the oldest of the late king’s children.  She is married to Yoon Chae Woon.  They live outside the palace but she visits often to see her mother.  She prefers her brother, Prince Yangwon, to succeed in the throne instead of her half-brother Min Woo.  So, she plots along with her mother and Queen Insun to overthrow him in favor of Prince Yangwon.  

Yoon Chae Woon—married to Princess Gongshin.  He is the son of a wealthy nobleman who is the Prime Minister and blessed with great intelligence.  He is one of the few people that the King trusts.  

Yeon San Gun, Chief Secretary—Dowager Queen Jeongsun’s older brother and father of Queen Insun.  He is one of the chief conspirators along with his sister.

Yoon Kang Jae, Prime Minister—is Yoon Chae Woon’s father.  Harbors a dislike of King Taejun as he thinks of him as inadequate since the King is coming up with many different plans to “reform” the government and clear out the corrupted people in the palace and decides to plot along with the Queen Dowager and Chief Secretary.

Nae Si, Head Eunuch—is King Taejun’s advisor and friend.