The Hymn of Death (2018 South Korean Miniseries)

The Hymn of Death (Korean: 사의 찬미; RR: Saui Chanmi) is a 2018 South Korean television miniseries produced by SBS. The series dramatizes the historical relationship between the playwright Kim Woo-Jin and the soprano singer Yun Sim-Deok during the period of Japanese occupation in Korea.

Background

The miniseries is based on the lives of two historical figures: Kim Woo-Jin, a stage drama writer, and Yun Sim-Deok, recognized as Korea's first professional soprano. The narrative centers on their tragic romance and the creation of the song "Praise of Death" (1926), which is often cited as one of the earliest examples of Korean popular music.

Production and Broadcast

Directed by Park Soo-Jin and written by Jo Soo-Jin, the series consists of six episodes. It aired on SBS from November 27 to December 4, 2018, occupying the Monday and Tuesday 22:00 time slot. It followed the conclusion of the series Where Stars Land and was succeeded by My Strange Hero.

Cast

The lead roles were portrayed by Lee Jong-Suk as Kim Woo-Jin and Shin Hae-Sun as Yun Sim-Deok. The supporting cast included Kim Myung-Soo, Kim Si-Hyun, Kim Won-Hae, Hwang Young-Hee, and Go Bo-Gyeol.

Related Works

The story of Yun Sim-Deok and Kim Woo-Jin has been adapted for the screen previously, most notably in the 1991 film Death Song (Saui Chanmi).