IU, Byun Woo-seok: Monarchy Abolished, Happy Ending

MBC's Friday-Saturday drama 'The King's Affection in the 21st Century' concluded with a happy ending, featuring the abolition of the monarchy and a kiss between protagonists Byun Woo-seok and IU. In the final episode, Grand Prince Ian (Byun Woo-seok) declared the abolition of the monarchy immediately after ascending the throne, and Sung Hee-joo (IU) supported this as a revolution. The abolition of the monarchy faced opposition from royal relatives but was decided by a national referendum following Prime Minister Min Jung-woo's (Noh Sang-hyun) exposure of an assassination attempt on the king. Three years later, Sung Hee-joo returned to Castle Beauty, and Ian, now going by his birth name Lee Wan, established a foundation, depicting the two as ordinary lovers.

The drama 'The King's Affection in the 21st Century' ended with a record-high viewership rating of 13.8%. This ranks it third among all MBC Friday-Saturday dramas. The drama, set in a fictional South Korea with a constitutional monarchy, garnered attention for its story of a contract marriage between a chaebol heiress and a grand prince. However, it also left some disappointment due to controversies over historical distortion and the rushed conclusion of the monarchy's abolition narrative.

The final episode depicted a groundbreaking ending where the monarchy was abolished through a national referendum after Grand Prince Ian ascended the throne. Leaving the palace, Grand Prince Ian reclaimed his birth name 'Lee Wan' and began his newlywed life with his wife Sung Hee-joo in an ordinary daily routine. The drama captivated viewers by portraying a romance where a chaebol heiress, who had everything except for her status, and a king's son, who was sad because he could have nothing, forged their own destinies and broke down social barriers.

The drama also achieved global success, recording high viewership ratings not only domestically but also on the global OTT platform Disney+. Although it faced controversy over historical distortion during its broadcast, the production team issued an official apology to address the issue.

'The King's Affection in the 21st Century,' which concluded on the 16th, is a drama set in a 21st-century constitutional monarchy South Korea, depicting a romance where a chaebol woman, who has everything but is of commoner status, and a king's son, who is sad because he can have nothing, forge their destinies and break down social barriers. The drama attracted viewers with its unique setting of a 21st-century constitutional monarchy and the pairing of IU and Byun Woo-seok. However, controversies over historical distortion, honorifics, unresolved plot points, and the hastily resolved royal narrative left some viewers disappointed.