Netflix’s The Scandal reimagines the 1782 novel Dangerous Liaisons in the late Joseon era, centering on Lady Cho, Cho Won and Hui-yeon. Director Jung Ji-woo says he wanted to show Joseon elegance while exploring the unseen dynamic between Lady Cho and Hui-yeon. Starring Son Ye-jin, Ji Chang-wook and Nana, the 19-plus series premieres Sept. 18.
From left, actors Nana, Son Ye-jin and Ji Chang-wook pose at a press conference for the new Netflix series "The Scandal" at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap
High-society secrets and forbidden passion collide in "The Scandal," Netflix’s bold Joseon-era reimagining of the classic 1782 novel "Dangerous Liaisons."
Helmed by acclaimed director Jung Ji-woo, best known for films "Happy End" (1999) and "Eungyo" (2012), the series follows Lady Cho (Son Ye-jin) — a mastermind too extraordinary for the era’s rigid social boundaries — as she orchestrates a perilous wager with the ultimate playboy, Cho Won (Ji Chang-wook). When an innocent woman, Hui-yeon (Nana), becomes the target of their bet, a dangerous web of intrigue, rebellion and uncontrollable desire threatens to shatter society’s strictest taboos.
"The late Joseon era was far more sophisticated and nuanced than we usually imagine," Jung explained during a press conference at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul in Seoul, Wednesday. "I wanted to capture that elegance on screen while exploring the complex, unseen dynamic between Lady Cho and Hui-yeon — a relationship never portrayed quite like this before."
