The production team behind the MBC television drama “Perfect Crown” apologized on Saturday over accusations that the series did not accurately depict a royal coronation ceremony.

“We sincerely apologize to viewers who have supported the drama with love for causing concern over issues related to the series’ fictional setting and historical accuracy,” the team said in a statement posted on the official homepage of the drama, which stars IU and Byeon Woo-seok.


The controversy followed the second-to-last episode of the series, which aired on Friday and featured the coronation of Prince I-an, played by Byeon.

In the scene, the character wears a guryu myeollyugwan, a ceremonial crown adorned with nine strings of beads hanging from the front and back that was traditionally used in the royal court of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Court officials are also heard chanting, “Cheonse,” which literally translates to “1,000 years” and refers to their wish for the prince to have a long reign.

Viewers argued that the officials should have been saying “ Manse,” meaning “10,000 years,” an expression historically associated with imperial authority.

By contrast, “cheonse” was traditionally used for kings or rulers of lower rank, including monarchs of states — such as Joseon, Korea’s name at the time — that paid tribute to China under the premodern Sinocentric order.

Joseon rulers ceased paying tribute to China after losing the First Sino-Japanese War in 1895. Shortly after, King Gojong declared Korea an independent empire.

Viewers also said that Byeon’s character should have worn a sibi myeollyugwan, a ceremonial crown featuring 12 strings of beads, during the coronation, as the series takes place in a sovereign monarchy.

“We take viewers’ criticism seriously regarding the coronation scenes, in which the king wears a guryu myeollyugwan while officials chant, ‘Cheonse,’ which many pointed out undermines Korea’s sovereign status,” the production team said.

“The production team failed to carefully examine how Joseon court protocols changed over the course of history,” the production team continued. “As ‘Perfect Crown’ is both a romance and an alternate-history drama, we should have been much more cautious and considerate when approaching the points at which the fictional world intersects with real history, but we fell short in refining the world-building and reviewing the details more thoroughly.”

The team also said it “humbly accepts criticism from viewers and will revise the relevant audio and subtitles as quickly as possible for future rebroadcasts, VOD [video-on-demand] and streaming services,” adding that it will “move forward with an even greater sense of responsibility and do our utmost to create works that repay the viewers’ trust.”

IU also indirectly addressed the controversy during an event for the drama’s final episode on Saturday.

“Any disappointment [that fans feel], no matter how small, is entirely my fault,” she said on stage after watching the last episode with fans and members of the cast and crew at CGV Yongsan in central Seoul. “I believe that the public says things for a reason and that there are [critiques] that I should accept. If you notice any [of my] shortcomings, please tell me, criticize me and push me harder, and I will do my best to become a better person.”

The singer, who celebrated her birthday that day, also shared her recent thoughts and feelings.

“It was something that could have been resolved if I had done better,” she said without going into details about what “it” is.

“As someone who receives so much love from all of you, I will do better. I’ll live each day without wasting a single moment to become an IU who holds herself more accountable and shows a better version of herself,” she added.

IU did not explicitly mention the drama or the controversy during her remarks. However, as the comments came shortly after the screening of the final episode, they were widely interpreted as a reflection on the series and the criticism that it has received.

“Perfect Crown” concluded on Saturday. Set in an alternate Korea where a constitutional monarchy exists, the show centers on IU’s Seong Hee-ju, a commoner from a wealthy conglomerate family who has everything but status, and Byeon’s Prince I-an, the king’s second son, whose royal status constrains him from acting in accordance with his own desires.

Updated, May 17: Added remarks from IU.


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM EUN-BIN [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]