Bringing healing and empowering stories to viewers, Poong The Joseon Psychiatrist Part 1 ends stigmas on mental health conditions.
Taking viewers aback with a cliffhanger in the last episode, Poong, The Joseon Psychiatrist left no crumbs as to what the next season will pivot.
Physician Yoo’s journey does not end in serving justice and revealing unjust practices by officials. The Gyesoo Family is also up for bigger adversaries and more patients to welcome to their doors.
- Main Leads: Kim Min Jae | Kim Hyang Gi | Kim Sang Kyung |
- Addictive Rating:
- Overall Rating:
- Rewatch Value:
sun_drae watched Poong, The Joseon Psychiatrist Part 1 on Viu!
Episodes Recaps: Opening Week | 03 | 04 | 05 & 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
Poong, The Joseon Psychiatrist Part 1 Final Episode Recap
Yoo Se-poong, Gye Ji-han, and the King continue their struggle to reveal the truth by cutting off Cho Tae-hak’s ‘tail,’ Royal Physician Shin Gwi-soo. Physician Gye made Gwi-soo feel that he and the Second State Councillor are about to lose the war they started.
He revealed that their secret alliance was exposed and also made him realize how could a physician commit unjust practices in exchange for the royal title.
Since Se-poong has tragically lost all the strong evidence that can prove Tae-hak’s crimes, his next step is to make him show that he is guilty. Incorporating Lady Eun-woo’s suggestion into their next plan, the King invited all the officials and prepared a red bean porridge.
Upon seeing this, Tae-hak then became hesitant to eat the porridge since he knows that this was the food that led to the late King’s death. At the same time, the King announced the reinstatement of Physician Yoo as the Head Acupuncturist.
He immediately revealed Cho’s crimes with the pieces of evidence he got from Royal Inspector Sin-woo who was continuously been helping him in secret.
The next day, Physician Yoo presented more evidence about the dansacho but Tae-hak argues the Court Maid who knows about this was already dead. However, he was surprised to see Wol alive and well. She then confessed to who ordered her to add dansacho to the late King’s meal and who killed Commissioner Yoo.
Knowing that he has lost, Tae-hak poisoned himself by consuming a dansacho.
With their victory, the King offered Physician Yoo to be his Royal Physician and refers him as a “specialist of the mind.” On his return from Hanyang, the Gyesoo family warmly welcomes him and Physician Yoo also plans on marrying Lady Eun-woo.
However, his proposal to Lady Eun-woo was stopped by Royal guards, who told him that he must obey the King’s command.
Poong, The Joseon Psychiatrist Part 1 Plot Recap
Known to be Hanyang’s talented and skilled physician, Physician Yoo Se-yeob (Kim Min Jae) received the title, the ‘Divine Needle,’ because of treating the Crown Prince. However, the Second State Councillor and the Royal Physician envied him and became afraid that he would discover their secrets.
They then worsen the King’s condition by giving him a poisonous herb and blame Physician Yoo for killing the King. With this, Se-yeob prohibits entering Hanyang and also removes his title.
With his manservant, Man-bok, Se-yeob went to different places and arrived in Sorak Village where he met a new family. A former physician in the Medical Office, Physician Gye Ji-han made him work at the Gyesoo Clinic and restart his life as Se-poong.
Fate also connects with the woman who stopped him from taking his life, Lady Seo Eun-woo. With her passion for investigating crimes, Eun-woo helped Physician Yoo treat different patients and supported him until he gradually returns to loving to heal people again.
Poong, The Joseon Psychiatrist Part 1 Series Highlights
Therapeutic and Empowering Narrative
From its opening week to the last episode of Poong, The Joseon Psychiatrist part 1, lives up to its promise to deliver a healing story to viewers. In each episode, the series surprises us with different and touching stories of people with an illness.
Despite their differences in their status, it proved that the root of an illness comes from the heart. It’s also refreshing to see how the Gyesoo Family doesn’t rely on medicines but incorporates psychological treatments.
Additionally, the series lets viewers feel the pain of people with an illness until they recovered from it. This allows us to understand people and makes us realize always to show kindness to everyone.
These stories also encourage those who are battling an illness to always search for a silver lining. Like the hero of the story, Se-poong never lost hope and takes strength from the people he loves to continue pursuing his purpose.
In terms of technicalities, the series sets a calming atmosphere with its color grading and cinematography. In addition, it features stunning and healing sceneries in Korea.
K-Travel: The Scenic Cliff Featured In “Poong, The Joseon Psychiatrist” Is In Gyeongju
Breaking the Stigmas of Mental Illnesses
Indeed, Poong The Joseon Psychiatrist served as a medium to educate viewers about mental illnesses. I appreciate that it both presented foreign and mental conditions.
Moreover, the series proved that any physical illness can affect us emotionally. On the other hand, it also proved that people with mental illness should be welcomed in society and experience unconditional love.
In the Gyesoo Family, Granny (Jeon Guk Hyang) and Jang-goon’s (Han Chang Min) characters are beautifully written. Since both of them have mental illnesses, Granny suffers from Alzheimer’s while Jang-goon shows signs of Autism spectrum — they both broke stigmas about people like them.
Despite these conditions, they showed that they are special and can also work in the medical field. With these kinds of narratives, people now gradually accept and understand different mental conditions that exist today.
Poong, The Joseon Psychiatrist Part 1 Series Musings
As Physician Yoo and Lady Eun-woo are about to happily live without their responsibilities hindering, the conclusion of the first season surprised everyone. Since the plot focuses on the lead characters’ battle to reveal the truth, in which they succeeded, it surprised me their journey still doesn’t end here.
The series also did not give any clues as to what the next part of the series will pivot on. However, it is possible that the Second State Councilor is still alive since Se-poong found the cure to dansacho.
Only mixed emotions stirred up me because the series did not give ideas about why the Royal guards traveled from Hanyang only to fetch Se-poong. In the King and Physician Yoo’s last encounter, they are still on good terms.
However, the series did not show what Se-poong did and how was his condition while working as a Royal Physician. With that in mind, it is also possible the Se-poong gained new enemies in Hanyang.
Also, Se-poong finally clears his name, and his title returns to him. Will he continue using the name ‘Se-poong,’ or return as ‘Se-yeob’ in the second part?
All our confusion and theories will be cleared as the second part of Poong, The Joseon Psychiatrist returns in January 2023!
Stream Poong, The Joseon Psychiatrist on Viu!
Photos/Videos: tvN | Viu | Most Contents Official
Screencaps: Viu
