Diary of a Night Watchman

In 2014, MBC broadcast a 24-episode historical fantasy series titled *Diary of a Night Watchman* (Korean: 야경꾼 일지; lit. 'Night Watchman's Journal'). Starring Jung Il-woo, Ko Sung-hee, Jung Yun-ho, and Seo Yea-ji, it aired on Mondays and Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. from August 4 to October 21.

The story follows Prince Rin, who was orphaned as a child after his father, King Haejong, under a spell, killed the queen and then himself. Deemed unfit to rule, the young prince was exiled from the palace, and his older half-brother, Gi-san, became king. Twelve years later, Rin hides his loneliness and a ghost-seeing ability—gained after surviving a spirit attack—behind a carefree life of fun and romance. He meets Do-ha, a shaman from Mount Baekdu searching for her sister, and Sadam, a Taoist priest summoned by the king to expel an evil spirit that is actually the result of the sovereign’s madness. Years earlier, Sadam revived a dragon god worshiped by his Yongshin tribe, but King Haejong defeated it and hid its statue in the palace basement. Sadam now seeks to resurrect the dragon by exploiting evil spirits’ negative energy, convincing the new king to reopen a sealed door that had kept resentful ghosts out. To stop him, Rin revives the Night Watchmen—a group of soldiers who fought monsters under his father but were killed under the new king. Alongside Do-ha (with whom he falls in love), swordsman Kang Moo-seok, and former Night Watchmen captain Jo Sang-heon, Rin battles Sadam and uncovers the truth about his parents’ deaths.

The main cast includes Jung Il-woo as Lee Rin/Wolgwang, a rebellious prince who becomes a night watchman after gaining the ability to see ghosts; Ko Sung-hee as Do-ha, a woman with supernatural energy from Mount Baekdu who can communicate with nature; Jung Yun-ho as Kang Moo-seok, a cold-hearted but popular night watchman; and Seo Yea-ji as Park Soo-ryeon, a noblewoman determined to become the crown prince’s bride. Supporting characters include Yoon Tae-young as Jo Sang-heon, head of the Night Watchmen; Kim Heung-soo as Gi-san, an illegitimate prince who challenges Rin for power; Kim Sung-oh as Sadam, a psychic who worships a serpent monster; and Lee Jae-yong as Park Soo-jong, the ambitious prime minister behind Queen Min’s death.