West Palace

West Palace is a 1995 South Korean television series starring Lee Young-ae, Kim Kyu-chul and Lee Bo-hee. It aired on KBS2 from July 7 to December 26, 1995, on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:40 for 52 episodes.

Synopsis
The series is based on the reign of Gwanghaegun of Joseon, a conflict with his stepmother, Queen Inmok and scheming concubine, Kim Gae-shi.

Kim Gae-shi (portrayed by Lee Young-ae) is given Seung-eun (승은) by the Crown Prince Gwanghae (portrayed by Kim Kyu-chul). Although Kim receives seung-eun, she already has a lover, Won-pyo (portrayed by Kim Bo-sung), an excellent swordsman, who enters the palace to stay by her side. However, Won-pyo dies after trying to protect her during the rebellion.

Meanwhile, Queen Inmok (portrayed by Lee Bo-hee) is a virtuous lady that fell victim to palace politics and is subsequently banished to the West Palace along with her children: Princess Jeongmyeong (portrayed by Park Rusia) and Grand Prince Yeongchang (portrayed by Choi Kang-won) after Gwanghaegun is bewitched by his scheming concubine, Kim, whose ambitions and insatiable thirst for power leads to her own downfall.

Main

 * Lee Young-ae as Court Lady Kim Gae-shi / Gae-dong
 * Lee Jung-hu as young Kim Gae-shi
 * Kim Kyu-chul as Yi Hon, Crown Prince Gwanghae, King Gwanghae
 * Lee Bo-hee as Queen Dowager Inmok (Soseong)
 * Park So-ra as young Queen Inmok

Royal Household

 * Kim Sung-ok as Yi Yeon, King Seonjo
 * Park Jin-hyung as Yi Jong, Prince Neungyang King Injo
 * Lee Han-na as Royal Noble Consort In of the Suwon Kim clan
 * Jang Seo-hee as Crown Princess Consort Yu, Queen Yoo
 * Im Hyuk-joo as Yi Jin, Prince Imhae
 * Park Nam-hyun as Yi Je, Prince Heungan
 * Choi Kang-won as Yi Ui, Grand Prince Yeongchang
 * Park Rusia as Princess Jeongmyeong
 * Lee Jae-yun as Yi Bu, Prince Jeongwon, King Wonjong

Ministers and nobles

 * Seo In-seok as Yi I-cheom
 * Han In-soo as Kim Je-nam, Queen Inmok's father.
 * Ahn Dae-yong as Kang Hong-rip
 * Moon Chang-kil as Yoo Geun
 * Kim Jong-kyul as Heo Gyun
 * Su-hak as Ki Ja-hun
 * Shin-goo as Yi Won-ik
 * Park-woong as Jung Chul
 * Park Chil-yong as Yi San-hae
 * Tae Min-yung as Yoo Hee-boon
 * Im Byung-ki as Park Seung-jong
 * Kim Si-won as Yi Duk-hyung
 * Park Yung-mok as Yi Hang-bok
 * Lee Jung-woong as Yi Gwi
 * Park Seung-kyu as Yi Gwal
 * Kim Sung-chan as Kim Ja-jeom
 * Kim Chang-bong as Yi Kwang-jung
 * Kim Sung-won as Kim Yoo
 * Lee Doo-sup as Kim Yook
 * Sun Dong-hyuk as Choi Myung-kil
 * Lee Han-wi as General Jang Soo
 * Yoo Byung-han as Ha-sam
 * Choi Dong-joon as Lee Duk-hyung
 * Lee Kyung-yung as Park Ja-heung, Crown Prince Gwanghae's relative
 * Heo Hyun-ho as Yi Soo, Prince Gwichun
 * Kang In-duk as Seo Yang-kap
 * Kim Kyung-eung as Shim Woo-yung
 * Seo Yung-jin as Park Eung-su
 * Ahn Gwang-jin as Park Chi-ui
 * Kim Jung-hoon as Im Sook-yung
 * Park Kun-shik as Han Hee-kil
 * Lee Han-seung as Yun Bang
 * Lee Yong-jin as Kwon Pil
 * Jo Jae-hoon as Jung Hang
 * Jin Woon-sung as Yi Jung-pyo
 * Ki Jung-soo as Han Hyo-soon
 * Park Yong-shik as Yi Heung-rip
 * Heo Jung-kyu as Yi Ahn-jin
 * Jang Ki-yong as Kim Kyung-su
 * Park Hae-sang as Shin Kyung-jin
 * Sun Dong-hyuk as Choi Myung-kil
 * Kim Dong-wan as Choi Kwon
 * Choi Hun-chul as Uhm Il-goe
 * Lee Chun-shik as Choon Bo
 * Kim Bo-sung as Won-pyo
 * Jung Tae-woo as young Won-pyo
 * Seo Sang-ik as Jeong In-hong
 * Park Jung-woong as Eo-ui

Palace maids and eunuchs

 * Kim In-moon as Eunuch Ham
 * Lee Jong-man as Eunuch Han
 * Kim Eul-dong as Court Lady Uhm
 * Jang Jung-hee as Court Lady Ji
 * Kim Min-hee as Maid Eum-duk

Other families

 * Yang Geum-seok as Lady Kang, Kim Gae-shi's mother.
 * Uhm Yoo-shin as Lady No, Kim Je-nam's wife.
 * Park Joon-geum as Lady Lee, Lee Yi-cheom's wife.
 * Kim Young-ok as Lady Ryu, Lee Yi-cheom's mother.
 * Ko Hee-joon as Won-pyo's adoptive father.

Extended cast

 * Park Byung-ho as a missionary ambassador
 * Park Yong-gi as a Buddhist monk
 * Lee Hyo-jung
 * Seo Yung-ae
 * Moon Su-in
 * Yoo Byung-hwan
 * Kwon Oh-hyun

Production

 * 1) It was Lee Young-ae and Choi Dong-joon first appearance in a historical drama.
 * 2) The series emphasized Kim Gae-shi's role as Gwanghae's concubine so the production team added a fictional character, Won-pyo, who is Lady Kim's lover, to promote a love conflict.