The WORST episodes of Jewel in the Palace
Every episode of Jewel in the Palace ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Jewel in the Palace!
'Jewel in the Palace' is set in the middle of the 18th century in Joseon. This was a time when women held little influence in society. It tells the tale of an orphaned kitchen cook who strives to learn the secrets of Korean cooking and medicine and goes on to become the King’s personal physician. It is based on the true story of Jang Geum, the first female royal physician of the Joseon Dynasty.
#1 - Episode 1
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/15/2003
At the time of King Sung Jong in 1482, a deputy officer delivers the order from the King to bestow poison on deposed Queen Yoon as a death penalty. Chief civil administration officer Lee, SeJoa and Royal Military Guard Seo, ChunSoo visit deposed queen Yoon’s house to execute the death sentence. Deposed Queen Yoon says “You will pay for what you have done today” as her last words and passes away. One night, Royal army officer Seo falls from a cliff while walking the mountain path. He is saved by an ascetic, who has the ability to see the future, only to find out that he will die due to his involvement in killing deposed Queen Yoon. Not knowing how to react to this horrible news, Seo is encumbered with worries. Time flows to 1496 and King YeonSanGun has been ruling the country for 2 years. Na-In (one of the junior titles for female workers in the palace) Park reports NaIn Choi’s suspicious act to a court lady in Royal Kitchen. However, Na In Park is poisoned and thrown away deep in the mountain due to the Choi family’s power and influence in Royal Kitchen. Now resigned from the office, Seo finds Park in the mountain and saves her life. Park shows her gratitude to Seo and leaves the temple where she has been resting. Seo trails after Park without her knowing…
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#2 - Episode 6
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 9/30/2003
Even after she becomes an adult, because JangGeum still cannot keep her curiosity under control and has to see for herself whatever she needs to know, she sometimes gets in trouble and is penalized by washing dishes with SaengGakSi. Court lady Choi prepares a royal meal for Princess HyoHyey, who has been refusing to eat for 6 days, using the secret recipe only available to the predecessors in charge of the Royal Kitchen. However, Princess HyoHyey still refuses to eat and breaks down from hunger. GuemYoung prepares a porridge dish for Princess HyoHyey using charcoal, inspired by JangGeum’s use of charcoal to get rid of smells when cooking bean paste and soy sauce. Princess HyoHyey eats the porridge, saying it does not smell. Court Lady Jung praises GuemYoung and allows her to assist in preparing a golden pheasant dish for the King’s birthday. GeumYoung, however, loses the golden pheasant from the Ming dynasty. GeumYoung makes a plan to get outside the palace to buy a golden pheasant. JangGeum helps GeumYoung and accompanies her to Choi, PanSul’s house. The next day, Court Lady Choi finds out that the golden pheasant is nowhere to be found and calls for GeumYoung who also has disappeared from the palace. After thoroughly investigating YeonSaeng, Court Lady Jung, Choi, and Han consider a countermeasure. GeumYoung returns safely to the palace with a golden pheasant but JangGeum gets arrested by a Royal Military Guard officer who takes her to the Chief Court Lady.
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#3 - Episode 18
Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 11/11/2003
GeumYoung witnesses JangGeum and Min talking to each other in the temple and returns to the palace feeling miserable. GeumYoung looks back into the past and wrangles with her feelings for Min. A subject for the second competition has been decided and Court Lady Han prepares for it by herself. While Court Lady Choi and GeumYoung are absent from the palace, a strange man hides in the Court Lady Choi’s residence. While the Chief Royal Military Guard officer is searching Choi’s room, Court Lady Jung finds the secret recipe book handed down by former Chief Court Ladies in charge of the Royal Kitchen and gets upset about the fact that Court Lady Choi has suspected her. A plague is prevailing within the palace and an urgent conference is held. As an emergency measure, Court Lady Choi has been appointed to release female employees who are suffering from the plague. Court Lady Choi thinks of this as the golden opportunity to release Court Lady Jung from the position and plots…
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#4 - Episode 2
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/16/2003
8 years has passed and the story now takes place in March, 1504. Seo, working as a smith, and Park, as a homemaker, have settled down in a rural village where butchers, one of the bottom classes of the time, live together As Park’s best friend and colleague NaIn Han has advised, they are hiding themselves from certain incidents they got involved in by disguising themselves as low-class people. Soon, Seo and Park have a daughter named JangGeum. King YeonSanGun has been tyrannizing the country for a decade and GapJaSaHwa, a political massacre, takes place. One day, Seo takes JangGeum to the market and Seo gets arrested for his involvement in killing deposed Queen Yoon. Park and JangGeum head to HanYang, the capital city at the time, hoping to meet Seo. Court lady Choi witnesses Park and JangGeum at a market place in HanYang while shopping for groceries and feels threatened by Park’s presence. Court lady Choi and her brother, Choi, PanSool, plot to kill Park. JangGeum witnesses her mother’s death and despite her grief continues to go on, spurned by a strong will to accomplish NaIn Park’s dying wish.
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#5 - Episode 12
Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 10/21/2003
Chief Court Lady stops Court Lady Jung while taking JangGeum and GeumYoung to Royal Military office for a trial. Chief Court Lady persuades Court Lady Jung, but doubting her intention, Court Lady Jung gives Chief Court Lady 24 hours. Choi, PanSool plots to save GeumYoung and Choi family. On the following day, Court Lady Jung regrets giving Chief Court Lady 24 hours when Chief Court Lady’s attitude has changed. Court Lady Jung decides to conceal the incident after Court Lady Han begs for JangGeum’s life. The eldest son of the King has fallen ill after having chicken porridge Gang, DukGoo, the male banquet chef, has prepared. Gang, DukGoo is taken to NaeSiBoo (King’s secretariat) for investigation but the Crown Prince’s Palace has decided that Prince is paralyzed because of food poisoning and not of illness. Court ladies of the Royal Kitchen and JangGeum investigate the cause but the situation becomes more and more unfavorable to Gang and he is subjected to a severe cross-examination.
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#6 - Episode 38
Season 1 - Episode 38 - Aired 1/27/2004
The Queen Mother starts to receive medical treatments but her condition grows worse as she has waited too long for the treatment. While Shin is busy looking for a cure, JangGeum prepares pills for the Queen Mother. The Queen and Jung, YoonSoo are offended when they find out the ingredients used to prepare the pill and demand to change the royal doctor in charge. One night, King JoongJong pays a visit to YeonSaeng’s residence. Instructed by Court Lady Min, YeonSaeng displays her feminine charm in awkward manners. The King adores YeonSaeng for it…
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#7 - Episode 5
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 9/29/2003
While JagnGeum is practicing pine nut preparation under the moon light, she gets the chance to talk to GeumYoung. Not knowing who GeumYoung is, JangGeum tells her that the rest of SaengGakSi group have been complaining about her. GeumYoung teaches JangGeum how to prepare pine nuts. On the day of testing culinary skills, JangGeum is shocked to find out who GeumYoung is. The group of SaengGakSi is tested in their pine nut preparation skills and JangGeum takes the second place after GeumYoung. This incident causes the group of SaengGakSi to misunderstand JangGeum. A doctor disguised as a lady enters the residence of the Court lady in charge of the Royal Kitchen to examine the pulse for a diagnosis. On his way out, he is caught by a royal guard, which puts the Choi family in jeopardy. As the court lady in charge of the Royal Kitchen is about to be removed from her position, Oh, GyumHo and Chief Court lady appoints Court lady Jung as the successor, because she will behave like their puppet. The rumor that Court Lady Jung will be appointed as the court lady in charge of the Royal Kitchen is flying, and NaIn and SaengGakSi are agitated by the news. On the contrary to what Court Lady Choi has expected, newly appointed Court Lady in charge of the Royal Kitchen, Court Lady Jung, denies the existence of the absolute sense of taste and orders GeumYoung, who is seated next to her, to sit amongst SaengGakSi at the congratulatory ceremony. Also, Court Lady Jung insists that she will evaluate everyone for their capacity and will appoint her successor accordingly. GeumYoung studies culinary arts under Court Lady Choi and JangGeum does the same under Court Lady Han…
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#8 - Episode 42
Season 1 - Episode 42 - Aired 2/10/2004
While SinBi examines YeonSaeng’s pulse in front of Sin, IkPil, YeolI’s mistakes become obvious. Sin questions YeolI about an erroneous diagnosis but she won’t cooperate. JangGeum takes this as a opportunity to unveil the truth about sulfur fed duck incident. JangGeum hides in NaeSooSa, (the bureau of investigations) where the access is strictly limited, to unlawfully take out the daily report on King JoongJong’s health…
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#9 - Episode 47
Season 1 - Episode 47 - Aired 3/1/2004
YoungLo visits JangGeum with a bill received from Oh and Court Lady Choi, hoping to negotiate, as she cannot trust neither Oh nor Court Lady Choi. Court Lady Choi also visits JangGeum for atonement for her sin of killing NaIn Park. Suspecting Oh plotting against her, Court Lady Choi kidnaps YoungLo heading towards SaHunBoo. Min discovers a definitive clause that reveals Oh’s involvement in contraband trading with Japanese commander. Queen Mother finds out about Jung, YoonSoo’s will and orders to deliver it to her…
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#10 - Episode 10
Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 10/14/2003
The jurors of the NaIn Qualification Exam including the Chief Court Lady decide to disqualify JangGeum on the basis of her inability to keep the ingredients. However, thanks to the unexpected appearance of the Queen Mother, who is satisfied with dish JangGeum has prepared for the exam, JangGeum passes. The night before commencing the NaIn training, the ceremony of taking the oath of implicit agreement between female employees of the palace takes place in the training residence. At the ceremony, a secret surrounding the birth of HangEui is revealed and strict regulations of female employees of the palace are introduced. Court Lady Han tells JangGeum stories about her best friend, NaIn Park (JangGeum’s mother), and also gives her NaIn Park’s cooking knife. However, Court Lady Han and JangGeum still do not know each other’s relationship with NaIn Park. Min, JungHo is in search of the person who saved his life (JangGeum) and goes to Gang, DugGoo’s house after finding a clue. At an outdoor Royal Kitchen set in the King’s hunting ground, Court lady Han is poisoned by the conch used in beef stock. Unable to carry out her duties, Court lady Han orders GeumYoung and JangGeum to take charge of the outdoor Royal Kitchen.
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#11 - Episode 27
Season 1 - Episode 27 - Aired 12/15/2003
King JoongJong falls into a faint after returning from his trip to a hot spring, where he has recovered his health with a hot-spring cure and duck dish prepared by Court Lady Han. Even the Royal Medical department is unable to find the exact cause and the palace is in an uproar. After being informed about the incident, Choi, PanSool meets the royal doctor Jeong, YoonSoo to plot against Court Lady Han and JangGeum. Oh, GyumHo and royal doctor Jeong question Court Lady Han about the ingredients used, intending to make up a pretext and end up preventing Court Lady Han from entering the Royal kitchen. Oh orders Jeong to investigate the actual place.
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#12 - Episode 26
Season 1 - Episode 26 - Aired 12/9/2003
JangGeum and Court Lady Han find out that the letter unveiling the secret of the death of NaIn Park has disappeared. Court Lady Han suspects Court Lady Choi of instigating YoungLo and locks YoungLo up in the food storage to keep her from contacting Court Lady Choi. JangGeum seeks out Min for help. Min tells her about the secret investigation of Choi, PanSool and Oh, GyumHo and asks her to give him a little bit of time. On the other hand, Court Lady Choi and Choi, PanSool plot after finding out Court Lady Han and JangGeum will be accompanying King JoongJong on a trip to a hot spring.
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#13 - Episode 39
Season 1 - Episode 39 - Aired 2/2/2004
The King requests JangGeum to prepare rice cakes for his midnight meal as he misses having it ever since he tasted it at the royal Culinary Competition. GeumYoung finds out about this and feels miserable. YeolI plots to get rid of JangGeum and JangGeum invites misunderstanding by her superiors and colleagues. As a result, JangGeum is sent to a place where an epidemic has broken out. At the place of epidemic, YeolI and Jung, YoonSoo plot to kill JangGeum…
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#14 - Episode 43
Season 1 - Episode 43 - Aired 2/16/2004
JangGeum is taken to NaeSiBoo for taking out the daily report on the King’s health but gets released with the help of the Lord SangSun. Thinking this is a golden chance to get rid of JangGeum, Court Lady Choi protests to Lord SangSun but he turns her down. Choi, PanSool and Court Lady Choi take advantage of the position SangChaek (a position in the eunuch department) and corners Lord SangSun for protecting JangGEum. At last, Lord SangSun has no choice but to report the incident of JangGeum, taking the daily report on the King’s health to the Queen…
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#15 - Episode 28
Season 1 - Episode 28 - Aired 12/16/2003
As chief Royal Military guard insists, everyone relating to the incident, including Court Lady Choi and JangGeum, gather to the Royal Kitchen. The opinions regarding sulfur-fed ducks, which are used to prepare the King’s meal, are conflicting. They decide to test the exact same dish serve to King to HongI. Not being able to endure the torture, the merchant who sold the duck falsely confesses his crime. Due to this, Court Lady Han and JangGeum are sentenced to death on a charge of high treason.
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#16 - Episode 25
Season 1 - Episode 25 - Aired 12/8/2003
YoungLo steals the account book JangGeum has been working on and takes it to Court Lady Choi. In that account book, the letter which Na-In Park has left JangGeum is stuck between the leaves of the book. Court Lady Choi is shocked to find NaIn Park’s recipe book and returns the account and recipe books. Court Lady accidentally sees the recipe book but does not find out that the book belongs to JangGeum due to YoungLo lying to her. SaHunBoo pressures Oh, GyumHo by investigating government offices including SaOngWon. While the investigation is proceeding, King JoongJong finds out that Choi, PanSool is exclusively supplying the majority of goods to the palace and that management of the goods is being neglected. Oh, GyumHo and other people involved seek a way to come through this crisis.
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#17 - Episode 17
Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 11/10/2003
Court Lady Han and JangGeum lose the first competition. Court Lady Han scolds JangGeum for only concentrating on finding good ingredients and recipes rather than cooking with her utmost sincerity and sends her to the sanitarium, where a nursery Court Lady is recuperating. YoungLo, YeonSaeng, and ChangI try to take JangGuem’s place while she’s absent but fail to endure Court Lady Han’s training. JangGeum meets Min, JungHo and Gang, DukGoo, who are carrying out a secret mission, at WoonAm temple. Incidentally, JangGeum speaks of her parents’ true identity to Min…
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#18 - Episode 15
Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 11/3/2003
Court Lady Han orders JangGeum to cook bean paste soup to serve King JoongJong. The King is very satisfied with the dish. Court Lady Jung explains to King JoongJong that the reason for sauces turning sour is because of pollen, which intrigues him. The King praises Court Lady Han and JangGeum. JangGeum visits Jung, WonBaek at DaJaeHun for a pulse diagnosis. JangGeum explains her situation and begs Jung to apply acupuncture on her using bee stings but Jung refuses to do so. Court Lady Choi finds out that JangGeum has lost her sense of taste…
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#19 - Episode 33
Season 1 - Episode 33 - Aired 1/12/2004
Entering JeonEuiGam’s (the royal medical department in charge of educating and administration work) training area JangGeum faces difficulties straight away. Sin, IkPil, the chief medical educator, finds it objectionable that JangGeum has cured the son of HoPanDaeGam (a noble class). Min, with the effort to unveil Oh, GyumHo and his associates’ unlawful acts, requests cooperation from places he visits. Jung, WoonBaek turns him down but Min persuades him. JangGeum asks Shin, IkPil, her teacher, the reason he failed her on the exam of distinguishing medicines. Shin tells JangGeum that she is disqualified and tells her to give up on her dream of becoming the royal doctor.
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#20 - Episode 19
Season 1 - Episode 19 - Aired 11/17/2003
Chief Court Lady reports to the Queen mother that employees are being released from the palace due to the plague and that Court Lady Jung is among them. The competition gets cancelled and Chief Court Lady plots to appoint Court Lady Choi as Court Lady Jung’s successor. At last, the Queen mother appoints Court Lady Choi as the acting Chief Court Lady of the Royal Kitchen during Court Lady Jung’s absence. Court Lady Choi sends Court Lady Han and JangGeum to TaePyungGwan, where an ambassador is received with courtesy. Court Lady Han and JangGeum learn that the chief ambassador is suffering from diabetes and prepares his meal accordingly rather than impressing him with all kinds of oily delicacies. However, not knowing the full intention, the chief ambassador and Oh, GyumHo get offended…
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#21 - Episode 9
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 10/13/2003
On her way back to the palace, JangGeum stops by the Royal library to drop off a letter for Jung, WoonBaek and encounters Min, JungHo. On the day she returns to the Royal kitchen, she starts preparing for the NaIn Qualification Exam. After a hard day’s work is over, JangGeum enjoys studying under the moonlight with her colleagues, YeonSaeng and ChangI. The day of the NaIn Qualification Exam has finally come. GeumYoung is the first one to correctly answer the subject for a poem followed by YeonSaeng and ChangI. JangGeum fails to answer the question till the end of the exam. During the examination, the testing of identifying good quality ingredients commences. JangGeum is not able to choose a good quality meat but utilizes her experiences from her childhood spent in the butchers’ village to find a suitable one. The night before the cooking test of the NaIn Qualification Exam, JangGeum’s wheat flour, along with other ingredients gathered in the competition field, disappears. JangGeum searches for the wheat flour and finds HangEui, one of the SaengGakSi, making dough using JangGeum’s wheat flour. However, HangEui refuses to return the wheat flour. The noise caused by the two attracts Royals Officials Lee, ChangMin and Min, JungHo…
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#22 - Episode 3
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/22/2003
Not able to bear her hunger, JangGeum enters DugGoo’s brewery to ask for some food. She is falsely charged as a thief but DugGoo’s wife feels affection for JangGeum and takes her in. JangGeum helps around the brewery with everyday errands. One day, Lord Park, WonJong makes JangGeum deliver bottles of rice wine, as part of a plot of treason against King YeonSanGun, to Prince JinSung. That night, the enthronement of King JoongJong and dethronement of King YeonSanGun take place and Prince JinSung becomes King JoongJong the following day. A Court lady in charge of training visits DugGoo’s house looking for JangGeum. JangGeum follows the lady and joins the palace with the dream of becoming the best cook there. JangGeum goes under the training of SaengGakSi (female workers under training to become maids of the palace) and become friends with YoungLo, YeonSaeng, and ChangI. However, coming from low-class background, JangGeum is treated with contempt. Mortified at being mistreated, JangGeum and YunSaeng hide in ToiSunGan (One of Royal Kitchens in the Palace), and find GeumYoung going down to the King’s private quarters. While hiding themselves in ToiSunGan, JangGeum and YeunSaeng get caught by Court lady Han and NaIn Min. Surprised, YeonSaeng falls and breaks the bowl containing King’s midnight meal. Court lady Han and NaIn Min are traumatized as King’s midnight meal has been ruined. They quickly come up with a new idea to prepare King’s midnight meal and concentrate on preparing it without paying any attention to JangGeum and YeonSaeng. JangGeum is very impressed with the work of Court lady Han and watches her preparing the King’s meal with admiration…
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#23 - Episode 7
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/6/2003
Every Court Lady and SaengGakSi, including Court Lady Jung, tries their very best to spare JangGeum’s life. Fortunately, JangGeum is released from NaeGumWi (the Royal Military Guard) but she is about to get forced to leave the palace. Owing to Court Lady Jung and Han’s efforts and sacrifices, JangGeum is sent to DaJaeHun (a place where medical plants are being cultivated). Jung, WoonBaek who is in charge of DaJaeHun tells JangGeum not to do anything. JangGeum starts working whereas everyone else in DaJaeHun gets drunk on a daily basis. Fascinated with the virtue and cultivation of Medical plants, JangGeum aims to accomplish BaekBon cultivation. Finally, JangGeum succeeds in cultivating BaekBon which convinces everyone in DaJaeHun to change their ways. However, BaekBon garden gets ruined one day due to the malicious plot of Choi Pang Sool. Jung, WoonBaek is taken to Royal Military Guard after he pulled up BaekBon seedlings and sold them to a seedling shop. Due to this incident, the palace finds out that JangGeum has succeeded in BaekBon cultivation and JangGeum returns to the Royal Kitchen as a reward.
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#24 - Episode 29
Season 1 - Episode 29 - Aired 12/22/2003
JangGeum tries to escape to HanYang City but fails every time. One day, JangDug, a government servant, tells JangGeum how to escape. However, JangGeum fails to escape again and is taken back to the government office. JangDug gives a piece of advice to JangGeum, telling her to learn how to give up. JangGeum wonders why JangDug, who is a government servant as she is, is being treated differently other slaves. Meanwhile, Min has arrived in JeJu Island from HanYang city and finds JangGeum. Min goes to government office to meet JangGeum…
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#25 - Episode 23
Season 1 - Episode 23 - Aired 12/1/2003
Court Lady Jung falls ill and gets removed from the palace as the Royal regulations do not allow anyone but the King and his immediate family to die in the palace. Chief Court Lady explains the injustice of the Royal Culinary Competition to Queen Mother. Moreover, she reports to Queen Mother that Court Ladies from other departments are not willing to serve Court Lady Jung due to her low class background. Queen mother worries, not knowing the right thing to do. Court Lady Choi persuades Court Ladies from other department to go against Court Lady Han’s words. Court Lady Han is driven into the corner due to Court Lady Choi plotting against her…
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