Original subtitles

Yes.

You were...

the Haerye.

That's why...

Yi Do valued you so much.

You were right there

and we kept looking.

Kill her.

Ttolbok.

Hand her over.

No!

Hand her over.

Kill her!

I'll count to three.

If you don't hand her over,

he's a dead man.

Don't mind me.

You know who I am.

I'm Ttolbok from Hanjitgol village.

I don't care if I kill him and die myself.

Your Leader or loser, I don't care.

Go on if you want him dead.

-One! -Sir!

What are you doing? Kill her right now!

Two!

Gae-pai!

What are you doing?

Kill everyone! Kill them all!

Commandant Mu-hyul's at the port.

What about you?

Get out of here. If you stall, I'm dead.

Go.

Do you want me to die? Go!

What are you doing? Kill her!

Arrows! Shoot your arrows!

If you dare shoot, he loses his head.

Shoot your arrows!

Move.

Leader!

Gae-pai.

Leader, are you all right?

Save him or kill me.

It's up to you

Kareupeyi.

Shoot So-i!

Shoot her!

The wound

is deep.

Shoot your arrow.

Shoot her!

Dam!

Dam!

So-i. The Haerye.

Did you kill her? Did you?

Dam!

Dam!

Have you not

heard from anyone?

Have you not heard from Mu-hyul either?

No, not yet.

The three state councilors. Are they done discussing?

Not yet.

How are the preparations going?

They started last night.

Dam!

Dam!

Dam!

Dam.

Dam.

It's poisoned.

Chae-yun!

Chae-yun!

Chae-yun!

Chae-yun!

Hey, over here.

Chae-yun.

What happened?

Dam. She fell off a cliff nearby.

We must find her.

What? Court Lady So-i?

She was shot by an arrow.

Find her.

-Go! -Okay.

Dam!

Dam.

Dam.

Dam.

Dam.

Dam.

Dam.

Dam.

Dam.

Dam.

Dam.

Dam.

What happened to the hideout?

Most of our brigade

were taken by Palace Guards...

or were killed, Leader.

JEONG GI-JUN LEADER OF SECRET ROOTS

Sir!

Sir!

You're safe.

Where's Ms. Dodam?

She...

Ms. Dodam.

The Haerye.

What happened to it?

We...

destroyed it.

That is a relief.

Don't just sit there. Treat her.

Master.

Ever since the day Lord Jeong Do-gwang died,

you lived in such great pain.

I know that very well.

Even for just one day,

I wanted to make you happy.

I pray that...

you look after yourself...

and...

lead Secret Roots until the end...

Secret Roots...

is no longer...

my responsibility.

Boss.

Boss.

I'll...

follow you soon.

Boss.

We have a change of plans.

Call Gae-pai.

Dam.

Dam.

Ttolbok.

Dam.

That's too dangerous.

Our brigade is gone.

If you must do this,

use the secret passageway.

I'm not just trying to assassinate Yi Do.

Our cause

is to oust him.

Pardon?

In front of everyone,

I will show Yi Do's fail.

But, Sir.

Do as it says.

This will be your final mission,

and my...

final command.

Am I...

strong enough?

You're the most powerful swordsman of China.

Dam.

Ttolbok.

Are you all right?

It's poison.

-It's no use. -Get on my back.

Dam, get on my back.

We have to go.

This is written...

in Chinese and our language.

It's the Jejahae.

They need this...

at the proclamation ceremony.

-And-- -Okay, let's go.

Listen to me, Dam. Come with me.

Listen to me first.

Jeong Gi-jun...

is planning to assassinate...

His Majesty at the ceremony.

Alert everyone...

and protect His Majesty.

Who cares?

Who cares about that if you're not there?

I need you to live.

Who cares about this?

The people.

Their burden of responsibility is pain.

You said that.

We paid more than enough.

So stop talking and just get on my back.

It's...

too late for me.

Will you hesitate?

To save me,

to take my body,

will you waste time?

You and I share the same fate.

Even the same horoscope.

I'm afraid you'll end up like I did.

Do not hesitate...

in any situation.

I don't want to do this.

Don't make me do this!

There's nothing to be scared of.

There's no reason to be afraid.

Everyone we knew

when we were young.

My dad.

Seok-sam.

They all died like this.

No one got a decent funeral.

Don't go.

Don't cry.

Don't cry.

Look at me.

That day,

after we met again...

and I returned to the palace alone,

do you know what the hardest thing was?

Sleep.

After we met,

after more than 20 years,

I slept really well for the first time.

If we could

leave together,

would I be able to sleep like that forever?

Just the idea...

made me so happy.

Don't go.

Don't go.

Don't.

You let me...

dream happy dreams again.

Thank you so much,

Ttolbok.

Don't go.

Our letters...

will be proclaimed successfully.

The people...

will...

read them.

Through your eyes...

I'll see it all.

You must...

see it yourself.

Go on.

Go and...

show...

Show it...

to me.

Ttolbok.

Dam.

Dam.

Dam.

Dam.

I heard a noise from over there.

Your heard it too?

Yes.

The people,

for their own happiness,

must give up their dignity to protect what they cherish.

Like you dedicated your whole life

to killing the king,

I dedicated mine to making letters.

The reason I couldn't leave with Dam

was because...

I found it strange that there was something she wanted to do.

The desire she has.

What she wants to do.

Protecting that,

I believe,

is how to show her my love.

Chae-yun!

Chae-yun!

-Chae-yun. -Chae-yun.

Isn't this Court Lady So-i?

Hey. What happened?

Will you hesitate?

What did you say?

Gyeon Jeok-hui will back out?

I don't know the details but that's what the message said.

She'll be returning to Ming.

YI SIN-JEOK, THIRD STATE COUNCILOR

And the Haerye?

I don't think they have it.

Why...

If Sim Jong-su has everything,

what can we do then?

You were alive.

Do you know how worried I was about you?

SIM JONG-SU, SECOND COUNSELOR

Yes.

I know very well what you're thinking.

But you're wrong.

You should

hear me out first.

Our Leader...

is dead.

Dead?

The Secret Roots' letter.

Now you and the king can do what you want.

That's the final command I have for you,

Yi Sin-jeok.

You must make

the proclamation a success.

I am going to burn that Haerye,

then kill Yi Do

and everyone who knows the alphabet

on the day of the proclamation ceremony.

Sir.

I pray that

you succeed.

Do you think

he's really dead?

I don't know.

We can't be sure,

but what's more important now

is that I have this.

Can you excuse me for a while?

Sure.

Is this really worth it?

Just for this...

GWANGHWAMUN GATE

Your Majesty.

The three state councilors finally agreed.

They did?

Good.

Write up a royal edict.

We already did. You just have to affix your seal.

All right.

Your Majesty, if you wrote the foreword,

we'll have it copied.

I haven't written it yet.

I just can't seem to write it.

Your Majesty.

Can we do the ceremony without the Jejahae?

Your Majesty, the Commandant of the Palace Guards is here.

What happened?

Did you bring them?

We annihilated the Secret Roots' soldiers

and rescued Deok-geum and Mok-ya.

And So-i?

At the time, not knowing we were attacking the hideout,

Jeong Gi-jun

took So-i away.

What? Jeong Gi-jun...

Kang Chae-yun went after them right away.

He will bring her back.

The fourth Leader.

Serve him well.

Sir...

-Let's go. -What's going on?

We were told to gather so let's gather round.

-Why do they want us? -Did you bring a lot of eggs?

Is that all you care about?

There's still no news?

No.

Not yet, sir.

"In the winter of 1443,

I, myself,

created 28 new letters.

I named them

Hunminjeongeum.

Also,

to ensure its widespread use,

Offices for Hangul and Vulgate Publication will be opened.

I command that

these letters be used in the civil service examination.

Today,

I will explain the meaning of Hunminjeongeum's creation

and teach everyone the Haerye.

People who learned to read and write

-were greatly concerned that they were -Is it good?

unable to understand the full meaning.

Those in charge of official business

had trouble communicating

and coordinating their tasks."

Who's he?

Have an egg.

Can I get on your shoulders?

On my shoulders?

It looks like Yeon-du can't see.

Get up there.

-Is that better? -Can you see?

Kareupeyi.

Who?

We should fall back.

Mu-hyul.

Get him inside.

Treat him!

You fools.

-Your Majesty. -Don't talk, Mu-hyul.

Move him quickly.

Your Majesty.

Do not stop.

You are our king.

As I,

Mu-hyul the warrior,

have a path in life,

you, as king,

have your own path.

Go back to your seat.

Your Majesty.

Will you do as your commandant says for once?

All right.

Very well.

Hey.

Let's see.

There's writing on it.

There is.

What does it say?

-It says something... -Yeon-du, how do you read this?

"The sounds are..."

"The sounds..."

-I think that's it. -"Na"...

Are these the king's new letters?

These are the letters Yeon-du taught us.

Do you have a better idea?

How about this?

The Japanese story of a chain letter.

A chain?

Made with rings?

Not like that.

There's a book.

The person who read it has to show it to someone else

or he'll die.

So when we teach the letters,

we should say they'll die if they don't teach it to anyone else?

You don't get it but commoners need a giant push.

That way it'll spread faster.

That's a threat.

Yeon-du, those letters that you wrote.

You know them too?

Yes.

Anyone who knows it

will get a rash all over.

Really?

If you don't want to get a rash,

you must teach the letters to at least three people.

Then I'll be okay.

-Why? -I taught it to

my mom, Ok-tteol and my friends.

You did?

Then

tell your mom, Ok-tteol and friends

that they must teach three others

to not get a rash.

"And so..."

"The names..."

"To explain."

Oh dear.

They knew the letters already.

"The first sound,

-middle sound..." -"This is..."

"To explain."

-"These sounds mean..." -"That's what they represent."

"They are the same."

"The tongue

-moves like..." -"Remember."

"Around the mouth..."

"The movement of the tongue..."

So-i's idea worked. Yeon-du did it.

Then did we succeed in spreading the letters too?

Dam.

Are you watching?

The people...

are all reading.

Dam.

Where's So-i?

She's here.

She's right here.

You should go.

You should...

proclaim it.

Dam...

Dam is watching you, Your Maesty.

Your Majesty.

It's the Jejahae of Hunminjeongeum.

The language we speak...

is different from Chinese.

The writing

does not correspond.

For this reason,

the unlearned commoners,

even when they have something to say,

are unable to

get their points across

to the relevant people for help.

For this reason...

My people died doing my work.

I killed them!

It is not your fault.

We were told to

learn how to read to serve our masters.

Love?

You don't love your people at all.

You're bothered by them.

You were despaired, frustrated and furious...

because for the first time

you considered people like Dam, your people, human beings.

For this reason,

I took pity

on my own people...

and created 28 new letters.

Anyone can learn them with ease

and use them for everyday tasks.

All I want is for them...

to live in more comfort.

The "geu" sound...

is made near the molars.

It's the first sound in "gun."

"Neu" is made

with the tongue.

So-i.

Thank you.

And I'm sorry.

"Deu" is made...

with the tongue.

It's the same sound

you make when

you say "du."

Made with the teeth,

it's the first sound

in the character "jeuk."

"Cheu" is made

with the teeth.

The sound in "chim"...

Through your eyes...

I'll see it all.

Dam, are you watching?

Ttolbok is watching it all.

Are you watching too?

The sounds made with

your molars,

tongue, lips

and voice...

can be used alongside

Chinese.

-Hooray! -Hooray!

-Hooray! -Hooray!

-Hooray! -Hooray!

-Hooray! -Hooray!

-Hooray! -Hooray!

-Hooray! -Hooray!

-Hooray! -Hooray!

-Hooray! -Hooray!

-Hooray! -Hooray!

-Hooray! -Hooray!

Chae-yun.

Chae-yun.

Why were you standing there in this state?

Chae-yun.

Your Majesty.

I had to watch.

This was Dam's life.

I wanted her...

to see this.

What did I tell you?

The people

always pay for their responsibility in pain and suffering.

Look.

Just like Dam,

and Ttolbok,

it's so bright.

It's a very...

good day,

Your Majesty.

-Isn't it fun? -Yes.

Mom's home.

Mom.

Mom.

Sir, go that way.

Jeong Gi-jun the traitor.

You're under arrest.

Sir.

I guess

this is where I die.

I hope

you stay alive.

Get him.

What is it now?

Why are you crying?

What happened?

Your Majesty.

The commandant...

has passed away.

They all died.

These fools.

I never gave the order.

How dare they all...

die without permission?

They lost Jeong Gi-jun?

Yes. They chased him to Bektonggyo Bridge on a branch of Cheonggyecheon Stream

but he suddenly disappeared.

-They're searching the area. -Darn it.

Did you say Bektonggyo Bridge on Cheonggyecheon Stream?

-It can't be. -What is it?

It can't be.

My lord, what is it?

Near Bektonggyo Bridge on Cheonggyecheon Stream

is a secret passage that leads to Gyeongseong Palace.

You must've heard of it.

It can't be.

That emergency exit is a secret between the king, the commandant and Crown Prince.

How would Jeong Gi-jun know of it?

That secret passageway...

and everything in Gyeongbokgung Palace...

was planned and

designed by Jeong Do-jeon.

You're in a terrible state, Jeong Gi-jun.

Thank you.

Because of you,

I came to love my people.

Yes.

That's...

how you would feel.

But

the other rulers

and the ruling class...

won't be like you.

Sometimes

I wonder

as I look at my pet dog.

If that dog...

could understand what I say,

wouldn't that be great?

Your letters

might end up

being abused like that...

by future rulers and officials.

The people

may seem foolish,

but you cannot fool them with wisdom.

However,

that could also mean that

because they are foolish,

they're incapable of being fooled.

A man with no wisdom

cannot fool a rock.

But

your letters...

will give people wisdom.

They'll be deceived.

They'll be deceived more often

and they'll be abused.

Just like a dog that understands...

its owner's commands.

Yes. That could be true.

But in the end,

with their wisdom, they will find a way out.

Each time they will fight

and go on fighting.

Sometimes they'll win.

Sometimes they'll be deceived.

And sometimes they'll lose.

Even if they lose, it can't be helped.

That is history.

It's all right if they lose.

So many dynasties and rulers came before me,

but the people,

they lived on this land

for thousands of years more.

They can go on...

fighting.

Now

I just hope that

what you said...

is right for us all.

You said something

to me before.

That I don't love my people.

Yes. At the time

I thought that it could be the case.

But now I know that

that was love.

That was love!

It hurts so much

right here.

How could that

not be love?

Thank you, Jeong Gi-jun.

Thank you.

Your Majesty.

Is anyone outside?

ONE YEAR LATER

The Secret Roots' fourth leader, Sim Jong-su.

SIM JONG-SU

The king's new letters

were proclaimed and have spread.

Jeong Gi-jun, the previous leader

risked his life to prevent it

and failed.

Now

the Secret Roots will do the following about the new letters.

With all our hearts,

with the utmost desperation,

we'll treat it with contempt and scorn.

It's writing for women.

Writing for the lowliest class.

Writing for the ignorant and unlearned.

In doing so,

we'll do our best to delay the letters

from causing chaos within our society.

Are you prepared?

Yes, sir.

Of course.

Lord Yi Chi-seong did a lot to arrange this meeting.

There can be no mistake.

You must get

Prince Suyang

interested in the proposal.

Yes, sir.

I promise to succeed.

As the new leader of the Secret Roots,

I will work in the background.

You must work at the forefront within the chancellor system.

It will be

a hard path for us both.

By the way,

I realized that I don't know your full name.

Han is just your surname.

My name?

Now that you ask, I must answer.

My name is Han Myeong-hoe.

Oh dear.

My goodness.

I'm so sorry.

I was in a hurry.

What are you staring at?

Do you know him?

No.

I just got a strange feeling about him.

Why?

I can't explain.

Sir Jeong Gi-jun.

I promise you that I will

tear down Jiphyeonjeon.

How come in this weather

a flower has bloomed?

What's this flower called?

It's a wildflower with no name.

Was this flower

always here?

Yes, Your Majesty.

Over dozens of years

I must have looked down thousands of times

and I didn't know that flower was there.

I never noticed the blue sky

above the palace.

This place is too wide.

It's too unfamiliar.

Mu-hyul is no longer here.

So-i is no longer here.

Ttolbok isn't here anymore.

It feels so unfamiliar that I wonder

if they were even here.

I heard that

Chae-yun was buried next to So-i.

I heard a tombstone in our letters

was put up.

I heard of it all.

I never went there.

I didn't cry.

I only

continued with my work.

OFFICE FOR HANGUL PUBLICATION

The Office for Hangul Publication is open.

So is the Office for Vulgate Publication.

The first four of the Seven

Chinese Classics are being translated.

Petitions are being written in our letters.

You brats.

What are you doing?

People curse and play

in our letters.

I have stopped

taking interest in the letters.

I created policies and sowed the seeds.

Now the letters

belong to the people and the world.

That world that

the letters bring upon

now depends on the people.

After that,

I continued with my work.

When I have no work

I go to Hyangwonjeong Pavilion

and look at that wildflower.

Your Majesty.

It's soon time for assembly.

The assembly? What a joke.

Your Majesty.

After the assembly,

will you host the Royal Lecture?

Your Majesty.

Tell them I'll definitely host it.

Yes, Your Majesty.

How many times must I say? You don't know?

You don't?

When I first saw this,

I learned it all in half a day.

Who do you take after?

Tell me. Who do you take after?

Hey.

Are you saying they take after me?

No. They're my kids.

They take after me. Right?

Keep your fists clenched tight and watch carefully.

-Do you see this letter here? -That's enough.

Let's eat.

Okay, just a moment. This letter--

Now.

Okay. Let's eat.

Seok-sam, bring your brother.

Hurry up. Watch your step.

-It's dinnertime. -It's dinnertime.

Let's eat.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WATCHING "TREE WITH DEEP ROOTS"

Subtitle translation by You-jin Lim