The number of signatures on a national petition asking for the disposal of the drama Perfect Crown, whose director, writer and actors apologized over historical distortion controversies, has surpassed 50%.
On the 22nd, a petition posted on the National Assembly's national petition board demanded the disposal of the MBC Friday-Saturday drama Perfect Crown, which ended on the 16th.
The petitioner said, "There are obvious factual errors and directing that appears to have a strong intent aligned with a certain country's northeast project (cultural project) that have been continuously exposed," and pointed to distortion and controversy items including distortion of national rank and titles, indiscriminate borrowing of foreign cultures, and errors in national symbolic costumes.
The petitioner said, "When criticism arose, the production team only released a statement saying they would post‑broadcast modify audio and subtitles while going ahead with the airing. However, at this point when K-content spreads worldwide in real time through global OTT platforms, this is like locking the barn after the horse is stolen and provides a clear pretext for neighboring countries' attempts to invade history and culture, an act that betrays the nation. Under Article 5 (public interest and fairness of broadcasting) of the Broadcasting Act, broadcasting should elevate the nation's subjectivity and properly cultivate public sentiment. Content that damages national identity using public airwaves and media platforms, which are the people's asset, should not be let off with simple disciplinary action or subtitle corrections. As with past precedents where broadcasts were canceled due to historical distortion, this drama should likewise be immediately disposed of. Therefore, at the National Assembly level, we strongly request the following immediate measures," they said.
The petitioner requested, "Please have the Korea Communications Standards Commission and relevant ministries issue an immediate order to halt the broadcast of the drama that committed serious historical distortion and cultural invasion," "to force removal and disposal of the program from already released domestic and foreign VOD and OTT (all domestic and foreign platforms) services to prevent distorted culture from spreading worldwide," and "to establish permanent expulsion measures such as excluding broadcasters that harm national identity and cultural sovereignty under the shield of 'fiction' from future government funding and restricting broadcast licenses."
This petition expires on June 21; if it gains 50,000 signatures within 30 days, it will be referred to the relevant standing committee. As of 10 a.m. on the 24th, about 26,000 people had signed, reaching 53% in two days.
In episode 11, which aired on the 15th, of Perfect Crown, the male lead, Grand Prince Iaan (played by Byeon Woo-seok), wore the guryu menryugwan at his enthronement ceremony and received from attendees the chant "cheonse cheonse cheonnse." Immediately after the broadcast, viewers strongly criticized the scene as a serious error that could lend legitimacy and a pretext to China's historical distortion claim known as the northeast project, which asserts that Joseon was once a vassal state of China.
As the controversy grew, the production team apologized. They then muted the "cheonse cheonse cheonnse" portion in rebroadcasts and OTT VOD services and removed the subtitles.
In addition, the director apologized in media interviews, the writer posted an apology on the official website, and lead actors Byeon Woo-seok and IU also apologized over the incident.
[photo] provided by MBC
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