Sungkyunkwan Scandal

In order to support her family during a time when society forbids women from obtaining an education or finding employment, Kim Yoon-hee poses as her brother, Kim Yoon-shik. After doing a number of odd jobs, mostly at a nearby bookshop, she is given the opportunity to boost her income by taking the entrance exam at Sungkyunkwan, Joseon's top university, as a substitute. Sungkyunkwan is a place of Confucian learning where students and teachers learn from each other, causing radical changes in their thinking, and so sacred a place that even royal guards may not enter. She is apprehended by the moral Lee Sun-joon, who subsequently recognizes Yoon-hee's abilities and even urges her to apply to the university.

While trying to contain her developing feelings for Lee Sun-joon, Kim Yoon-hee she must deal with the unending mischief of upperclassman Gu Yong-ha, tolerate the mood swings of her rebellious roommate Moon Jae-shin, stay out of trouble with the strict student body president Ha In-soo, and keep her secret hidden. The "Jalgeum Quartet" consists of Moon, Gu, Lee, and Kim together. The drama takes place during King Jeongjo's reign, during which he enlists the quartet to help him deal with the intrigues of the court. The Geumdeung document [ko] is the subject of the last episodes.^[9][10]

The series attracted a fervent fanbase that belied its modest mid-teen ratings.^{[21][22][23][24]} Its cult popularity was manifested in the very high online activity on the message boards of its official website and in popular portal DC Inside, the number of episode viewings on the KBS website, as well as units of DVDs and OST albums sold.^[25][26] The original soundtrack, which featured Park Yoo-chun's band JYJ, sold 110,000 copies in a couple of weeks.^[27] The old campus of Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) was the setting for the fusion historical drama, which also starred alumnus Song Joong-ki, resulting in increased interest in SKKU from international audiences who watched the drama.

The series was edited into a theatrical version which screened in Japanese cinemas from May 6–19, 2011 as part of the "Dokimeki☆Ikemen Festival."^[38]

For the drama's first anniversary, Korean cable channel QTV (a joint venture between Turner Broadcasting System and JoongAng Ilbo's affiliate, IS Plus) re-edited the series into a two-hour TV movie which aired on September 10, 2011.^{[39][unreliable source?]}