Lee Young-ae will not join `Jewel in the Palace 2'

By Kim Tong-hyung

MBC is preparing a sequel to “Jewel in the Palace,’’ 11 years after the drama became one of the most-watched television shows in Korean history and triggered a Korean culture boom in Asia and elsewhere.

But the broadcaster suffered a major setback on Monday after Lee Young-ae, the star of the original drama, made it clear she wants no part of the new production.

MBC will still proceed with the tentatively-named “Jewel in the Palace 2,’’ but will find it difficult to find an actress who can match the presence of Lee, who practically carried the 2003 drama and rode it to international fame.