Actress Lee Chae Young is the latest addition to the cast of the JTBC drama "Maids." The Monday-Tuesday night drama is a different kind of saeguk, one that focuses not on the obviously powerful and influential members of Joseon-era society but instead on those who serve them.
It's a JTBC drama about servants and courtesans but also about the shifting notions of status and class.
Lee Chae Young, who recently appeared in the film "Secretly Greatly" and the drama "Two Mothers," plays the beautiful courtesan Ga Hee. Her character is modeled on a real-life courtesan that many ministers fought over. Elegant and haughty, she used her talents to further herself and influence powerful men.
The main character in "Maids" is a nobleman's daughter, who suddenly loses her wealth and is forced to become a slave. Jung Yu Mi, who recently starred in "Mother's Garden" and who played the evil cousin in "Rooftop Prince" plays Kook In Yeob, a girl who falls from nobility to servitude. And the worst part of her becoming a slave is that she has to serve her former rival. She has a hard time accepting her fate but must make the most of it.
Becoming a slave means she will have plenty of company as the teasers for the drama tell us that slaves made up 60 percent of the population in the Joseon era. Despite this they had almost no power and were preyed upon by the nobility, whom they feared and rightly distrusted.
Oh Ji Ho, last seen in "Ghost-Seeing Detective Cheo Young," plays Moo Myung, a servant with a secret. He's really a skilled warrior who is working on a secret undercover mission. He's also the most attractive servant in Hanyang. He and Kook In Yeob eventually fall in love. But it takes a while since Kook In Yeob's previous suitors numbered among the most desirable men in the city and dating a servant would fall below her earlier standards.
Kim Dong Wook, last seen in "The Concubine," plays the scholar who initially wooed Kook In Yeob when she was a noblewoman. He was a persistent suitor and he doesn't change his mind when her status changes. He still loves Kook In Yeob and wants to win her heart, which places him in direct competition with Oh Ji Ho's character.
Jo Hyun Tak, who directed "Who Are You?" is the director. New writer Jo Hyun Kyung has written the screenplay.
"Maids" is set to premiere on Dec. 12.
