Conspiracy in the Court (lit. Seoul's Sad Song), is a 2007 South Korean historical drama broadcast on KBS2. The mystery thriller revolves around a murder case set in Hansung, the capital of Korea during the latter years of the Joseon dynasty when the nation was experiencing a rapid influx of western influences. Featuring a band of newcomers in the leading roles, Conspiracy in the Court entails a story of four young visionary idealists and King Jeongjo, Joseon's popular 22nd monarch who fought for commoners' rights and bureaucratic reformation. Despite low ratings averaging 6.00% (5.1% lowest - 7.5% peak), it was lauded for its high standard of content and art direction.

Plot

In the midst of investigating a serial murder case, detective Park Sang-kyu (Jin Yi-han) confiscates a clump of wild berries from a smuggler, suspecting that these colorless odorless berries are key to solving the mystery behind the murder. Meanwhile, leading merchant Yang Man-oh (Lee Chun-hee) expands his power and influence by accusing his rival Hong of illegal doings to the police bureau. Shortly after, the city of Hansung is terrorized once again when another corpse is found in the marketplace. Detective Park suspects that the perpetrator is using the berries to murder victims. But as he begins to unlock the puzzle, he discovers that there is more to the case than meets the eye. The three main characters of this drama pose the question of what a "righteous life" is in the era of political and social turmoil of the late Joseon Dynasty, when progressive thinking and the Confucian social reform movement "Silhak" began penetrating into Joseon from the Qing Dynasty. It was also a period when the 400-year Joseon Dynasty was gradually losing ground, unable to respond to external and internal changes in the wake of the Japanese invasion of the 16th century and the Manchu War, resulting in clashes between the king, who dreamed of restoring his authority through powerful reforms aimed at improving the lives of the people at the grassroots level, and conservative political forces, which felt threatened by the self-justified royal authority.

Characters

Political relevance

As this politically charged drama began airing during the peak of Korea's 2007 presidential campaign, viewers compared the ideal leadership model of King Jeongjo to current affairs.

Cast