Historian Shim Yong-hwan analyzed "Perfect Crown."
On the 28th, a video titled "Fact check and historical analysis of history in the drama Perfect Crown" was released on the YouTube channel "Currently living Shim Yong-hwan."
In the video, Shim Yong-hwan compared and analyzed the characteristics of alternate history works and historical facts based on the MBC Friday-Saturday drama Perfect Crown, starring IU and Byeon Woo-seok. He fact-checked cultural experiments such as the historical background for why constitutional monarchy did not continue in Korea, the nakwha game shown in the drama, hanbok design, and forms of address, emphasizing that cultural experiments are processes that create new culture beyond historiography.
First, Shim Yong-hwan said, "Alternate history works like 'Perfect Crown' are a trend that has recently become popular in webtoons and web novels. The advantage is an expansion of imagination, and if based on meticulous evidence, the work becomes much more sophisticated," while also noting that the palace fire scene and some other scenes were disappointing in terms of historical verification.
Regarding the main setting of "constitutional monarchy," he said, "The reason constitutional monarchy did not continue in 21st-century Korea is, sadly, because the Joseon royal family did nothing after its downfall. Prince Yeongchin wore a Japanese military uniform and acted as a henchman, and there are photos that suggest Rhee Syng-man ignored Prince Yeongchin after liberation. The film "The Last Princess" is largely romanticized by nationalist sentiment, but in fact Duchess Deokhye did almost nothing," he criticized.
He then answered whether it was possible for Grand Prince Ian (Byeon Woo-seok) to be the real power in place of the young king, saying, "Historically, it's impossible. Joseon was a country that thoroughly prevented interference by royal relatives. After King Sejo's betrayal, it never gave power to royal relatives. Heungseon Daewongun also served as regent in a special situation where royal authority was very weak but resigned after an appeal by Choi Ik-hyun. But the drama's lead is Byeon Woo-seok, so what can you do?"
He also said about forms of address and clothing in the drama, "Terms like yeonggam or daegam denote the scope of official rank," and "For a royal relative to mix court robe patterns or to let a dragon robe hang open in the drama would be, by etiquette, a crime deserving beheading, but I see it as a matter of design consideration."
Concluding his analysis, Shim Yong-hwan said, "Gyeongbokgung, Hangul and Yi Sun-sin are stories of Joseon, but they are assets that Korea effectively rebuilt and gave meaning to in modern and contemporary history," and added, "Works like 'Perfect Crown' may seem low in historical scholarship, but they are an interesting experiment that creates a new culture called the Korean wave. I hope more detailed and creative stories emerge to create a new Korean culture."
Meanwhile, the MBC Friday-Saturday drama Perfect Crown has aired six episodes so far and is recording a peak viewership rating of 11.2% (episode 6, nationwide, Nielsen Korea).
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