Park Myeong-yi

Park Myeong-yi is a minor character in Dae Jang Geum. She is Seo Jang Geum's mother. Myeong-yi is from the upper class yangban. Her grandfather was a court official who lost favor with the court. Myeong-yi was sent to the palace in hopes she could gain rank and salary and raise her family. She became a palace maid there(she was known as Park Na-in). However, Myeong-yi witnessed a conspiracy by Choi Seong-geum, her friend and niece of the current Highest Lady of the Royal Kitchen. She reported it and was as a result framed by Choi and secretly executed according to the kitchen's internal procedures: forced to drink poison. Luckily, Myeong-yi's best friend Han Baek-young, then Han Na-in(Palace Maid Han} mixes an antidote with the poison. At the same time, Han slips a letter into Park's clothes. The antidote gives Park a fighting chance and she is saved by Seo Cheon-Soo. Myeong-yi is the second woman who will control Seo's fate. After Seo saves her, she marries him and gives birth to a daughter, Seo Jang Geum. After Seo is arrested, Park and her daughter escape to Han-yang, where Park reunites with Han, now Court Lady Han(Han Sang-goon). Han tries but fails to help Myeong-yi. Myeong-yi is killed by the Choi family, but dies telling Jang Geum to become the Highest Lady of the Royal Kitchen and record Myeong-yi's story inside the secret Highest Lady diary. Jang Geum buries Myeong-yi in a grave at the foot of Mount Tongyin.

See also

*Dae Jang Geum