Goong (manhwa)
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Goong (Hangul: 궁, literally "Palace") is a currently ongoing Manhwa series by author So-Hee Park. It has been adapted into a popular TV drama series of the same name, known in English as Princess Hours. As of December 2006, there are currently 14 volumes published in Korea.
Goong is licensed and published in North America in English by Ice Kunion.
[edit] Characters
Chae-Gyeong Shin A seventeen year-old Korean girl who marries the Crown Prince of Korea because of a promise between her grandfather and the late King. Innocent and naive, she is deeply affected by the loneliness of her new life and longs for home. Because of this loneliness, she starts falling for Shin, even though he acts like a jerk with her.
Shin Lee Crown prince or "Taeja-Jeonha" of Korea. He is portrayed in the beginning as arrogant and insensitive. Pressured to marry early, he accepts the choice his father and the elders give him (Chae-Gyeong) after being rejected by his girlfriend Hyorin. Shin later shows that Chae-Gyeong is the only one that is really close to him. He also doesn't want to let her go.
Yul Lee Another prince of Korea and a cousin of Shin's. His father was the elder son of the late king, and he was born as the crown prince. However, at his father's death, the laws of succession passed the crown onto his uncle, so he and his mother left for England. After coming back the Korea, he ends up in the same class as Chae-Gyeong, and falls in love with her.
Hyo-Rin Seong (*Her surname is changed to "Min" in the drama version) Shin Lee's former girlfriend. She refuses his marriage proposal saying that her dream is to be a ballerina, and that she has no intention of giving up her dream, but the real reason is revealed later on.
King Younger son of the former king, who became crown prince only at his brother's death. He loved a girl who ended up marrying his elder brother.
Queen Shin's mother and wife to the King. She knows that he still loves Yul's mother, and tries desperately to protect her own son's claim to the throne.
Queen Mother Very short lady who is just a tiny little bit perverted and happens, incidentally, to be the mother of the current King.
Yul's Mother Wife of the former King's elder son. She chose to marry him even though she loved his younger brother because of the power it gave her.
Gung Eunuch A very short, old pervert who seems to have a crush on Yul.
Chae-Jun Shin Chae-Gyeong's brother. He starts out in the story as an obnoxious kid who revels in the attention of the media accorded to his family at the event of his sister's wedding. Later he's involved romantically with Hyorin.
Chae-Gyeong's Mother Adopted at an early age by Chae-Gyeong's grandfather, and later allowed to marry his son. At the beginning of the story, she cleans in other people's house to make a living for her family.
Chae-Gyeong's Father Unemployed at the beginning of the story.
Chae-Gyeong's Grandfather An old friend of the former King whose promise to him led to Chae-Gyeong's wedding with the Crown Prince. He becomes hospitalized by the middle of the story.
Seong-Ji An Chae-Gyeong's girlfriend.
Mok-Han Seung Classmate and friend of Chae-Gyeong. Believes that she is still in love with him.
[edit] Books (Manhwa)
[edit] Book 1
Chae-Gyeong Shin is a normal high-schooler who happens to go to the same school as the Seja, or crown prince of Korea, in a fantasy, make-believe world where the Korean royalty still exists. After getting a "C" in music class, she spies the prince proposing to a girl (and getting rejected by her.) Fortunately for Chae-Gyeong, she manages to escape without having her face seen. Later that day, she goes through tortuous debates over whether to tell her friend Mok-Han about the incident or not. At the very moment where she almost blurts out everything, she is caught again by the Seja, who isn't fooled by her pretence of hiding her face away into Mok-Han's chest, and warns her to keep silent about the whole story (or else face life-imprisonment). Back at the palace, the King sends for Shin and gives him a picture of his future bride-to-be, and guess who it is? Chae-Gyeong! Shin explodes into laughter and agrees to the marriage. In the meantime, Yul comes back from England and has decides to enroll into Shin's school, ending up for some reason in Chae-Gyeong's class.
Chae-Gyeong, during this time, is having a difficult time choosing between her family's wishes (they were almost bankrupt at that point) and her own desire to choose her own path. In the end, it is the image of her mother's patched sleeve that gives her the courage to accept the proposal during an audience with the Queen. When she starts having second thoughts, it is already too late, and very soon Chae-Gyeong is forced to enter and live in the palace, learn its endless traditions and rituals, without permission of going back home. Lonely and depressed, even the sight of Shin, who had told her earlier that he would never do something as cruel as marrying (and making a puppet of) the girl he truly loved, is welcome to her; but when he finally makes his appearance, it is to simply tell her that he'd divorce her if she cannot get adjusted to palace life.
