Bong Tae-gyu plays King Jeongjo on 'Time Tracker Sherlock' as 297 secret royal letters are revealed

SBS Plus's 시간추적자 설록 (Time Tracker Sherlock) aired its August 18 episode under the theme "History's Pandora, Classified Documents," centering on secret letters written by Jeongjo, the 22nd king of Joseon.

Sent to political figure Sim Hwan-ji over four years, the letters totaled approximately 297. They remained unknown to the world for roughly 200 years before being discovered in 2009. The episode revealed records contained in those letters that were not public knowledge at the time they were written.

Actor Bong Tae-gyu (봉태규) reenacted the role of King Jeongjo on set. Director Jang Hang-jun (장항준) called "Action!" to kick off the scene. Bong's reaction to the historical reveal was blunt: "More shocking than the twist in most movies." He also said, "If I were a person of that era, I think I would have believed it."

Actor Jang Hyun-sung (장현성) called the story "like a movie synopsis." Director Jang Hang-jun described Sim Hwan-ji as someone who "seems like an extraordinary person."

Historian Dr. Park Hyun-mo (박현모) offered the analytical frame: "The most important thing to a king seems to be justification." Jeongjo, he added, "appears to have employed a strategy of building justification by utilizing opposing forces."

The panel also briefly detoured into a lighter segment on phone privacy between spouses. Bong said he shares everything with his partner. Jang Hyun-sung said he had "never been curious" about the question and "didn't quite understand it." Journalist Han Yeong-jun (한영준) shared that his wife once saw his phone because his computer and phone were synced in his study.

시간추적자 설록 airs every Tuesday at 10:30 PM on SBS Plus.