Until the Azalea Blooms

Until the Azalea Blooms (Korean: 진달래꽃 필 때까지; RR: Jindallaekkot pil ttaekkaji) is a South Korean miniseries starring Yum Jung-ah and Yoo Tae-woong. It aired on KBS2 from January 5[1] to January 28, 1998.

Until the Azalea Blooms
Also known asRed Azalea
Hangul진달래꽃 필 때까지
Based on"Until the Rhododendron Blooms" by Shin Young-hee
Written by
  • Yoon Hyuk-min
  • Park Young-sook
  • Jung Sung-san
Directed by
  • Yum Hyun-sub
  • Lee Won-ik
  • Hong Sung-duk
  • Kim Yoo-chul
Starring
Country of originSouth Korea
Original language(s)Korean
No. of episodes8
Production
Running time70 minutes
DistributorKorean Broadcasting System
Release
Original networkKBS2
Original releaseJanuary 5 (1998-01-05) –
January 28, 1998 (1998-01-28)

Based on the 1996 essay by Mansudae ballerina Shin Young-hee Until the Rhododendron Blooms, which portrays North Korean society during Kim Il-sung's regime, the show dramatize her life in the north of the peninsula, the public execution of Woo In-hee, a mistress of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, which she personally witnessed, and her defection to South Korea.[2]

The first two episodes achieved a viewership rating of 16-21%, but the series was criticized for being overly sensational, ridiculing North Korea and distorting the original work.[2][3][4] The author herself, in early October, tried to stop the show from airing, filing an injunction against KBS for copyright infringement and asking for a halt of the production of the drama.[5]

Until the Azalea Blooms, remembered nowadays as one of the first entertainment programs that portrays North Korea without propaganda purposes, was negatively received by North Korea, which threatened to kill the staff and bomb KBS headquarters if the channel aired it,[6][7] as the drama deals with corruption in the North.[1] North Korea banned it too, but it has nevertheless circulated and people have been punished and executed for watching it.[8][9]

Cast

References
  1. "[체널톱]KBS2 '진달래꽃 필때까지' 귀순무용수 일대기". Jungan Ilbo (in Korean). 1998-01-05. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
  2. "드라마「진달래꽃 필때까지」，체제비판 뒷전 선정성 지나쳐". www.donga.com (in Korean). 1998-01-12. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
  3. "리뷰 KBS-2TV 「진달래꽃 필 때까지」". PD저널 (in Korean). 1998-01-23. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
  4. "[방송가] KBS '진달래꽃 필 때까지' 시대착오적 제작 '비난'". hankyung.com (in Korean). 1998-01-14. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
  5. "귀순무용수 신영희씨 KBS에 방송중지 소송". Media Today (in Korean). 1997-12-03. Retrieved 2019-08-22.
  6. "KBS 홍성덕 제작위원 고백 "내 관리명은 '대둘'이었다"". tvdaily.co.kr (in Korean). 2012-09-18. Retrieved 2019-08-19.
  7. De Nicola, Giuseppina; Del Corona, Marco (2006). L'impero del mai: Corea del Nord, realtà, immaginazione e rappresentazioni. Milano: O barra O. pp. 25–26. ISBN 9788887510331. OCLC 123900880.
  8. "North Korean Authorities Punish Students for Watching South Korean TV Drama". Radio Free Asia. Retrieved 2019-08-19.
  9. "North Koreans floored by news of secret executions for illegal cell phone use". Refworld. 2015-11-18. Retrieved 2019-08-19.
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