This article is by Hwang Jee-young and read by an artificial voice.

As Korean dramas dive deeper into fantasy worlds filled with magic, monsters and royal intrigue, director Choo Chang-min turned the tide with the Disney+ period drama television series "The Murky Stream" - a gritty, ground-level tale of survival set on the eve of the Japanese invasions during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).
"I'm not a fan of fantasy," Choo said in a press interview at a cafe in central Seoul on Oct. 21. "What drew me to this story was its plausibility - it feels like it really could have happened. Rather than a tale of good and evil, it's about ordinary people struggling simply to survive."
For "The Murky Stream," which released all nine episodes on Oct. 17, Choo took a different path from today's popular fantasy-period dramas. Instead, he recreated the historic tension between the seoin (which translates to Westerner) and dongin (Easterner) factions, and the turmoil that gripped Joseon on the eve of the Imjin War (1592-98), focusing on the lives of commoners caught in the upheaval.
Set in Mapo Naru - the Joseon-era trade hub located along the present-day Han River where all goods and wealth converged - "The Murky Stream" topped Disney+'s TV show chart in Korea and entered the top 10 across Asia.
It marks Choo's return to the historic genre for the first time since the film "Masquerade" (2012), reuniting him with screenwriter Chun Sung-il, known for KBS' period drama television series "The Slave Hunters" (2010).
To achieve realism, Choo relied on practical sets rather than computer graphics. The production team built a 50-meter (164-feet) artificial waterway and a 99,000-square-meter (24.5-acre) outdoor set in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang, complete with market alleys, a riverside dock, local government offices and merchant warehouses.

"We received conditional approval from the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment to remove the artificial waterway during the monsoon season," Choo said. "I wanted viewers to feel the 'real Joseon' through authentic spaces and natural light. The overall darkness of the visuals reflects not only the grimness of the era but also my wish for viewers to immerse themselves fully in the story."
The actors' appearances were also intentionally unpolished. Actor Rowoon, who plays Jang Si-yul, appears covered in dirt throughout the nine episodes; Shin Ye-eun, who portrays Choi Eun, appears swollen-faced to convey the exhaustion of a fugitive after losing her father; and Park Seo-ham, as inspector Jeong Cheon, was made up with a different skin tone to fit his rugged role.
Choo praised his three young leads: "Rowoon broke the stereotype that handsome actors can't act. He dives deeply into his emotions. Park's performance improved remarkably toward the latter half, and Shin modeled her character after Seo-hee from Pak Kyong-ni's novel 'Land' [1969], showing how a once-cheerful girl becomes strong and resolute through hardship."
His favorite character, however, is Mu-deok, played by Park Ji-hwan.
"He's someone who flatters others and acts cunningly to survive but still feels guilty for the wrongs he commits - a deeply human figure," Choo said.
Every actor underwent what Choo calls a "personality test" before being cast.
"It was my first time directing a series that required eight to nine months of filming, compared to the typical three to four months for a feature film," he explained. "I needed people with good character who could communicate well over a long period. In the end, I was fortunate to work with wonderful actors and crew members."
The biggest challenge, he said, was time management, explaining that sometimes he shot only two scenes a day to achieve the level of detail he had in mind.

He also asked his actors to portray "layered emotions - for sadness to contain traces of other feelings as well." Some viewers have found the pacing slow in the middle episodes as the narrative builds around the dockside gan...

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