Joseon X-Files

Joseon X-Files (Korean: 기찰비록) is a 2010 South Korean historical drama that blends real cases from the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty with supernatural and mysterious elements. The series aired on tvN from August 20 to October 29, 2010, with 12 episodes broadcast on Fridays at midnight. Its Korean title translates literally to *Secret Investigation Records*, and it is also referred to as *Joseon X-Files: Secret Book* (조선X파일: 기찰비록).

The story is set in an alternate-history Joseon period during the reign of King Gwanghae. The protagonist, Kim Hyung-do (played by Kim Ji-hoon), is a Saheonbu inspector of senior 6th rank who focuses on investigating administrative misconduct. His work brings him into contact with a secret government organization tasked with managing strange, paranormal, and possibly alien phenomena, leaving only hidden records. While Kim Hyung-do seeks rational explanations and avoids superstition, his counterpart Heo Yoon-yi (Im Jung-eun)—a bookshop owner with her own secrets—is more open to supernatural possibilities. The series consists of standalone episodes, each alluding to the political turmoil of the era: "The Secret Light" (Parts 1 & 2), "The Curse of Shilla's Gold," "Behind Those Crimson Eyes," "The Sealed Tale," "Ghosts at Yi Du's House," "The Four Dimensions Village," "The Immortal Prophet," "Attack of the Changgwi," "Return to Dragon Palace," and "The Rebirth of the Dubak God" (Parts 1 & 2). The finale leaves many questions unanswered, with Kim Hyung-do’s last words to Heo Yoon-yi being simply, "I know who you are."

The main cast also includes Jo Hee-bong as Jang Man, Kim Hyung-do’s adjutant, and Kim Kap-soo as Ji Seung, a senior 3rd-rank Royal Secretary who heads the inquirers. The series features 83 named cameo actors in the hard-subbed credits, including Noh Young-guk as Yi Hyeong-wuk (a revoked governor and former teacher), Jo Jung-eun as Suk-mi, Yun Jong-hwa as Oh Gyeong-wun, Jo An as Bu-ok, Jeon So-min as shaman Choi Eui-shin, Kim Eung-soo as Yi Du, Jang Dae-yoon as Lee Bang-hyeon, Kim Ji-won as Ja-geun, Myung Gye-nam as Eo Sun-kwon, Kim Yoon-tae as Kang Yu-seok, Go Seo-hee as Su-hee, and Choi Min as a Dubak sect executive.