Director's 50-Minute Tearful Interview About 'The Grand Prince'

Director Park Jun-hwa of MBC's drama "The King's Affection of the 21st Century" has repeatedly apologized for the historical distortion controversy and expressed his deep sense of responsibility. In his sole media interview after the drama concluded, Director Park stated, "I believe I bear the greatest responsibility on behalf of the production team," and regarding the difficulties faced by the actors who worked hard together, he said, "​I am sorry. I apologize."

"The King's Affection of the 21st Century" is a drama set in a 21st-century constitutional monarchy in Korea, depicting the romance between a woman of commoner status who has everything and a sad prince who can have nothing. The drama concluded with a highest viewership rating of 13.8%. However, throughout its broadcast, it was at the center of controversy due to its world-building and lack of historical accuracy. In particular, a scene in episode 11 where subjects shouted "Cheonse" (ten thousand years) instead of "Manse" (ten thousand years) to the king sparked historical distortion controversy.

In the interview, Director Park said, "I created a situation that caused regret rather than healing," and apologized, stating, "Without excuse, I believe I bear the greatest responsibility on behalf of the production team." He explained that the world-building of the drama started with the premise of a situation where the Joseon Dynasty continued to the present day, and it began from a desire for the Joseon Dynasty to have continued without difficult historical events such as the Korean War.

Director Park further mentioned that in the early scriptwriting process, the writer seemed to have used Grand Prince Suyang as a motif, and he himself admitted to his ignorance regarding historical matters. He added that he understood the 21st-century constitutional monarchy and the royal family itself as a fictional reality and a fantasy romance, a setting created to generate dramatic situations. When asked if he referred to the Japanese royal family, he replied, "​I have never referred to it," and explained that the writer referenced the situation in a European country and seemed to want to express a feeling similar to the "Bridgerton" series.

Regarding the expression "Cheonse" appearing in episode 11, he said, "I think I fell into a trap while trying to express something about the royal family," and expressed regret, saying he didn't know why it happened even though there was a consultant. When asked if the drama preparation period was insufficient, he admitted, "The pre-production period should have been a bit longer, but I joined too late," and revealed that there was insufficient consideration for detailed aspects such as costumes and art direction.