When Untold Scandal was released in 2003, it caused quite a stir in Korean cinema. Bae Yong Joon, then at the center of the Korean Wave thanks to the hit drama Winter Sonata, drew major attention with his first starring film role. His transformation into a notorious womanizer, complete with revealing scenes, also came as a surprise to his international fans. The film pushed boundaries with its forbidden desire between relatives and provocative sexual content, drawing curiosity despite the divisive subject matter. It ultimately became a major box-office success, helped by director E J Yong’s delicate direction, striking visuals and strong performances.
Now, 23 years later, The Scandal has been reborn as an eight-episode Netflix original series, expanding on stories the film did not have room to explore. The series arrives over the Chuseok holiday, and expectations are high both in Korea and abroad. Netflix has previously rolled out major titles such as Squid Game and Narco-Saints during holiday seasons, raising the question of whether The Scandal can live up to the original while continuing that streak.
The answer, at least so far, is yes. The new series boasts an impressive team both behind and in front of the camera. Jung Ji Woo, whose films Happyend and Eungyo and Netflix series Somebody have explored provocative relationships, takes the director’s chair. Son Ye Jin, Ji Chang Wook and Nana step into the roles previously played by Lee Mi Yeon, Bae Yong Joon and Jeon Do Yeon. The central premise remains largely unchanged. Lady Cho (played by Son Ye Jin), who refuses to accept the restrictions placed on her life, enters into a dangerous romantic wager with Jo Won (Ji Chang Wook), Joseon’s most notorious seducer. Hee Yeon (Nana) is then drawn into their game.
The larger scale, however, brings several new elements. The most significant change is Lady Cho, who served primarily as the catalyst for the wager in the original but now stands at the center of the story. The series emphasizes her intelligence and audacity, giving the character greater depth. Lady Cho and Jo Won’s childhood is also explored for the first time. Their relationship consequently develops beyond desire and into a full-fledged romance. While their dynamic in the original leans toward something more dangerous and erotic, the series adds the tragedy of two people whose feelings are constrained by social status and the era in which they live. The young actors also handle the emotional material well, raising the possibility that this version could ultimately take a different path from the film.
The lead performances are another strength. Lady Cho and Jo Won both hide their true selves in order to conform to the world around them. She conceals her ambition, while he hides his sincere feelings for Lady Cho behind the persona of a womanizer. But Hee Yeon’s arrival sets their dangerous game in motion. Son and Ji spend much of their time playing characters who hide their true feelings behind carefully maintained appearances while trying to seduce one another, and their experience as actors comes through particularly well in these scenes. Nana also moves away from her familiar modern image to deliver a convincing transformation as Hee Yeon.
The series is also every bit as provocative as anticipated. Sexual content and erotic relationships remain prominent, but they are not presented purely for shock value. Instead, the series combines them with colorful, watercolor-like visuals and elements of pansori to create a distinctive style. Like the original film, the series makes striking use of traditional Korean aesthetics and a sumptuous visual presentation. Together, they heighten the tension among the three characters as their relationships repeatedly approach dangerous boundaries. The expanded story does come with a drawback: the pacing can feel slow. The original generated erotic tension through characters who honestly pursued their desires. The series instead adds a more poignant history between Lady Cho and Jo Won, shifting the emphasis toward emotional conflict. But that change also makes their decision to involve Hee Yeon in such a dangerous wager somewhat less convincing when the two already harbor feelings for each other. The slower pace is particularly noticeable through the first four episodes, as the series spends considerable time developing its new story arcs and character backgrounds. It is the remake’s clearest weakness.
Even so, placing Lady Cho at the center and approaching the familiar story from a different perspective makes this new “Scandal” an intriguing reinterpretation of the original. The story has already been adapted numerous times, so there is inevitably curiosity over how this version will end. But the emotional history built between Lady Cho and Jo Won from childhood seems to hint that the series may not follow the same path as the film. With a more sincere, enduring love now added to a story built on dangerous relationships and forbidden games, it remains to be seen how this new element will reshape The Scandal. Where their desires and tangled relationships will ultimately lead remains to be seen. (7/10)
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