The Flower in Prison ~ Binge-worthy Historical KDrama Series
“The Flower in Prison” is an award-winning Korean drama series, with 51 episodes, categorized as Action, Revenge, Historical, and Romance; streaming on Viki and KOCOWA+.
- This K-drama was released in 2016 as MBC’s special project drama to commemorate the network’s 55th founding anniversary. Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation was established in 1961.
SUMMARY: In Joseon most women don’t have exciting career opportunities. But I got lucky! I was born in a prison! That’s why I was called a flower in prison. But instead of closing doors, it opened doors for me. Want to know my story?
♦ My Mother Gave Birth to Me in Prison
In “The Flower in Prison”, the story begins with a pregnant woman running in the forest, along with a man who is running with her, not running after her. He is trying to help her escape some assassins. The man dies, but she manages to get to a prison, even though she was fatally wounded. The people who work at the prison are surprised and alarmed by her sudden appearance, but what could they do? She was clearly in labor and about to give birth. She dies shortly after her baby girl is born from a wound inflicted by an assassin’s sword.
The prison officials don’t know who the mother is or … was, but they resolve to keep the birth of the child a secret. Ok-Nyeo is the “flower” who is born and raised in prison. Not just any prison. She was born and raised in Jeonokseo, the prison in Joseon that had a reputation for being the worst prison ever!! Nobody would ever think a flower would come out of that place.
Everybody in the prison loved Ok-Nyeo: the workers and the prisoners. When she was old enough, she worked at the prison helping out with chores. But it turns out she was incredibly intelligent and understood the law, having learned through self-study, i.e. no formal education or training. She helped many prisoners present their cases in court and defend themselves.
Who would even think of a woman being a lawyer in Joseon? Ok-Nyeo understood Joseon laws well enough to be “oejibu”. But she didn’t really think about it as a career choice. She just knew her talent could be used to help others, so she helped them. It’s how she met Yoon Tae-Won. He would come to Jeonokseo and offer the prisoners legal advice.
Ok-Nyeo does not know her real identity but was very happy with the man who raised her like a father, and so, in the beginning, learning the secret to her own identity was not the priority. However, she accidentally discovered Park Tae-Soo. He was a prisoner who was being held secretly in an underground jail cell at the prison where she was born.
Learning his story would be fascinating, and she will eventually learn the truth of both his identity and her own. But not before that secret prisoner teaches her some mad martial arts skills! These are survival skills that she will need because,e after all, assassins killed her mother. If they found out that she was alive and well, no doubt they would try to kill her too!
Once the secret prisoner was certain she had mastered martial arts, he recommended that Ok-Nyeo become a secret agent. He may have been in prison, but he still had connections. She started working as a covert operative/intelligence agent for the king’s special investigative service. Of course, she couldn’t brag about it because it was a secret. But as a woman in Joseon, she had never imagined such a career.
In Western countries, people often use the expression about someone being “born with a silver spoon in their mouth”. That means for this child, pretty much nothing in life is denied them. No matter what happens, somehow everything always works out in their favor. Wicked people, the devils and the demons can do nothing to this child!
Well, if that’s what happens to a child with a “silver spoon”, then Ok Nyeo was born with a “golden spoon”! She fully realizes her fortune once she discovers her true identity.
Main Characters:
- Ok-Nyeo (played by Jin Se-Yun, “The Item”, “Bad Memory Eraser”, “Queen: Love and War”, “Grand Prince”, “The Duo”, “Bridal Mask”)
- Yoon Tae-Won (played by Ko Soo, “Lucid Dream”, “The Royal Tailor”, “Haunters”, “Missing: The Other Side”, “Heart Surgeons”, “Parole Examiner Lee”)
- Queen Moonjung (played by Kim Mi-Sook, “The Tale of Lady Ok”, “The Whirlwind”, “Payback: Money and Power”, “Little Women”, “Insu, The Queen Mother”)
- Yoon Won-Hyung (played by Jung Joon-Ho, “The Tale of Nokdu”)
- Park Tae-Soo (played by Jeon Kwang-Leol, “King Maker: The Change of Destiny”, “Witch at Court”, “The Royal Gambler”, “Remember: War of Son”, “Jung-Yi, Goddess of Fire”, “Jumong: Prince of the Legend”)
- Jung Nan-Jung (played by Park Joo-Mi, “Durian’s Affair”, “Love ft. Marriage & Divorce 1, 2, and 3”)
Viewership and Rating:
My personal rating is 10 out of 10 stars.
Argue with me all you want. My rating won’t change. I rarely give a perfect score, but “The Flower in Prison” is worthy.
LINKS OF INTEREST:
The Flower in Prison | Clive the Whippet
Adventure, revenge, and secrets in Flower in Prison | Dramabeans Korean drama recaps
TRAILER/TEASER:
OnlyKDrama. “The Flower in Prison 2016 Official Trailer Korean Drama.” YouTube, 11 Apr. 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aL8-b4bS68U&pp=0gcJCfwAo7VqN5tD.
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