The Scandal didn’t start as a K-drama. The story is more than 200 years old, and it’s been retold over and over. Here’s how it got from 18th-century France to Joseon.
The novel
It all goes back to Les Liaisons dangereuses, a 1782 French novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos about two aristocrats who turn seduction into a cruel game. Hollywood has taken a few shots at it, most famously Dangerous Liaisons (1988) and Cruel Intentions (1999), which moved the story to a group of rich New York teenagers.
The 2003 film
Korea’s first take was the film Untold Scandal (스캔들 – 조선남녀상열지사), which moved the story into the Joseon era, a time when love and seduction were strictly forbidden. It starred Bae Yong-joon, Lee Mi-sook, and Jeon Do-yeon, and became a big hit despite its adults-only rating.
The 2026 series
Netflix’s version premiered on September 18 with Son Ye-jin, Ji Chang-wook, and Nana. It’s directed by Jung Ji-woo, and it’s his second series after Netflix’s Somebody.
How they compare
I’ll be upfront: I watched the film a long time ago, so I don’t remember it scene by scene. But a few differences really stood out to me, and a lot of critics noticed the same things.
It’s slower. Stretching the story over 8 episodes gives it room to breathe, but it also drags in places. One international review praised the chemistry and visuals but pointed to the slow pacing across the 8 episodes as its main weakness, which matches how I felt.
Less emotional punch, especially for Hui-yeon. A Korean review felt her falling for Cho Won was rushed, and that the heartbreak doesn’t land as deeply as in the film. I agree. Her arc is where I felt it most.
A completely different look. The film used empty space to look like a traditional genre painting, while the series goes for bolder, more vivid color. Both are beautiful, just in very different ways.
A more modern Lady Cho. Director Jung Ji-woo has said the series reinterprets the leads through a modern sense of self, that “who am I” question, rather than playing it as a straight melodrama. You see this most in Lady Cho. She struggles with her own emotions and at times seems genuinely confused by them, which makes her feel a lot more human.
Why this story keeps coming back
I think it’s because the core of it, people using love as a game until it stops being one, works anywhere. And Joseon might be one of the best settings for it yet. SCMP made the point that Joseon’s patriarchal society turns out to be a perfect backdrop for the story, and after watching, I’d have to agree.