Sully Seol captivated audiences with his storytelling about King Jeongjo.
On the February 5th episode of JTBC's 'Lecture Battle Show: The Fraudsters' (hereafter referred to as 'The Fraudsters'), the show achieved its highest ratings yet with a 'Korean History Four Kings Special'. The fifth episode recorded a nationwide household rating of 3.1% and a 2049 target rating of 0.9%, with peak ratings reaching 4.6% according to Nielsen Korea (based on paid households).
This episode marked the first-ever gathering of four legendary figures in Korean history lectures: Sully Seol, Tae-sung Choi, Yong-hwan Shim, and Da-ji Lee. The 'Korean History Four Kings Special' theme heightened anticipation with Sully Seol's surprise appearance. Tae-sung Choi, considered Seol's strongest rival, remarked, "I came prepared," showing his competitive spirit. Meanwhile, Da-ji Lee, a top history lecturer, heated up the studio by noting, "It's been 20 years since Tae-sung Choi and Sully Seol started their careers."
With the 'Korean History Four Kings' assembled, the fiery topic of discussion was 'The Qualities of a Leader'. Da-ji Lee was the first to take the stage, exploring the choices of King Gongmin and Yi Seong-gye during the turbulent transition from the late Goryeo to early Joseon periods. King Gongmin, amidst chaos, chose Shin Don as his reform partner, granting him full trust. However, Shin Don's insatiable power lust led to his downfall and King Gongmin's tragic end, leaving Goryeo's reforms in ruins. In contrast, Yi Seong-gye's choice was the opposite. He collaborated with the brilliant strategist Jeong Do-jeon to lay the blueprint for the new Joseon dynasty. Lee left a lasting impression with the message that a leader's choices can determine a nation's downfall or founding.
The second lecturer was Sully Seol, who introduced King Jeongjo, regarded as a sage king of Joseon, and revealed lesser-known stories about him. Seol explained that upon ascending the throne, Jeongjo banned memorials related to Crown Prince Sado and executed any officials who defied this order, even if they were his own men, causing a stir. Additionally, Seol unveiled secret letters exchanged between Jeongjo and his greatest adversary, Shim Hwan-ji, which were revealed to the world after 200 years. Seol highlighted that Jeongjo's leadership was the backdrop for these secret exchanges, emphasizing the importance of maintaining one's original intentions while using authority to suppress adversaries when necessary.
With Tae-sung Choi and Yong-hwan Shim's lectures still to come in the 'Korean History Four Kings Special', viewers are eager to see if they can showcase the prowess of founding contributors. JTBC's 'Lecture Battle Show: The Fraudsters' will take a break on February 12th and 19th due to the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics coverage, returning with episode 6 on February 26th at 8:50 PM.
Reporter: Ji-won Kim, TenAsia bella@tenasia.co.kr