Perfect Crown, which is approaching its finale, has been engulfed in a controversy over historical distortion.
In the 11th episode of MBC Perfect Crown (written by Yoo Ji-won, directed by Park Jun-hwa and Bae Hwa-young, planned by Kang Dae-seon, produced by MBC and Kakao Entertainment), which aired on the 15th, Grand Prince IAAN (Byeon Woo-seok) is shown ascending the throne with the help of Seong Hee-joo (IU).
Perfect Crown, which had been regarded as this year's most anticipated work, is nearing its finale but has faced a massive controversy over historical distortion. If previous controversies were about the actors' acting ability, lack of plausibility, and uneven narrative development, the controversy surfacing before the final episode is particularly painful because it concerns historical distortion.
Netizens who watched the 11th episode that aired on the 15th pointed out that, despite being set against a constitutional monarchy, portraying the nation's symbolic system at the level of a vassal state was the most serious issue. They criticized that during the process of Grand Prince IAAN ascending the throne he shouted "cheonse" — a term used when a vassal state is subordinated to an imperial state — instead of "manse," a symbol of an independent nation, and that while the emperor (king) of an independent nation would wear a "ten-plate crown" with 12 rows of jewels, Perfect Crown depicted him wearing a "gyuryumyeong-gwan," which signifies a feudal lord who is a subject of the emperor.
Netizens, worried about China's northeast project, criticized, "At a time when attempts to appropriate other countries' culture are intense, a Korean drama using expressions that seem to present itself as a vassal state undermines the nation's honor," adding, "This is a dangerous production that can instill a wrong understanding of history beyond creative freedom, and it greatly risks causing Korea's history to be mistaken for a vassal state's history of another country."
Critics also pointed out that the tense scenes between Seong Hee-joo (IU) and Yoon-i (Gong Seung-yeon) followed Chinese-style tea ceremony methods. They noted that while Korea's tea ceremony places a small water vessel on a soban and only pours drinking water, in that scene the production followed a Chinese-style ceremony that uses a water catcher with the teaware placed on it and pours tea into it to drink.
In addition, the use of the term "hongseo" in the main chronology posted on Perfect Crown's official website was also questioned. Since "hongseo" is an honorific term used when a high-ranking person such as a vassal, queen, or noble dies, critics argued it was a setting error for Perfect Crown, which is set against a constitutional monarchy.
As a flood of historical distortion allegations emerged ahead of the final episode, some netizens argued that complaints should be filed with the Korea Communications Standards Commission based on Article 25 of the broadcasting regulations (Broadcasting shall not damage the dignity and pride of the nation) and that severe sanctions should be imposed.
Perfect Crown is currently preparing director Park Jun-hwa's finale interview. With the lead actors not conducting finale interviews, attention is focused on what Park Jun-hwa, who has taken the lead, will say about the controversy.
Meanwhile, the 11th episode of Perfect Crown, which aired on the 15th, recorded a nationwide rating of 13.5% (Nielsen Korea). This is a 0.2 percentage-point rise from the 13.3% rating recorded by the 10th episode that aired on the 9th and is Perfect Crown's highest rating to date. Perfect Crown will end with the 12th episode, which will air on the 16th.
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