Korean Historical Drama Apologizes for Distorting History

The production team of MBC drama 'The Grand Princess of the 21st Century' has officially apologized for historical distortion controversies arising from some settings and dialogue in the drama. The production team stated on their official website on the 16th, "We sincerely bow our heads and apologize for causing concern due to issues with the world-building and historical accuracy."

The core of the controversy was the coronation scene of Prince Ian (played by Byun Woo-seok), which aired on the 15th. Viewers criticized it as historical distortion, pointing out that in the scene, the king wore a 'Guryumyeonryugwan' with 9 stripes, signifying a subordinate to the Chinese emperor, instead of the 'Simi-ryumyeonryugwan' with 12 stripes, a symbol of a sovereign nation. They also noted that the officials shouted 'Cheonse' (ten thousand years), used by vassal states, instead of 'Manse' (ten thousand years), a symbol of a sovereign and independent nation.

The production team stated that they take these criticisms seriously and explained, "This issue arose from a failure to meticulously examine how Joseon's etiquette changed throughout history." They also admitted that while careful consideration was needed for the parts where the fictional world and real historical context intersect in 'The Grand Princess of the 21st Century,' a romance and alternate history drama, efforts to refine the world-building and examine it meticulously were insufficient.

In response, the production team humbly accepted the viewers' reprimands and promised to expeditiously revise the audio and subtitles for the relevant parts in future reruns, video on demand (VOD), and online video service (OTT) versions. This controversy, despite a 30 billion won production cost and a star-studded cast, has been evaluated as leaving a painful stain on global viewers who experience Korean content through global OTT platforms.