IU, Byeon Woo-seok Drama Escapes Penalty Over Coronation Scene

MBC drama "21st Century Grand Prince's Wife" (21segi Daegunbuin) has avoided a legal sanction over complaints about how it handled Korean history. The show came under review for a coronation scene that featured a crown with nine strings of beads and officials chanting "cheonse," or "a thousand years."

South Korea's Broadcasting, Media and Communications Standards Commission instead decided to issue an "opinion," a form of administrative guidance. The decision came to light on Nov. 12

The commission's broadcast review subcommittee took up the case at its 29th meeting, held on Nov. 3. It combined three complaint items about the drama and looked at broadcasts on MBC-TV, MBC Dramanet and MBC ON. All four members agreed on the outcome.

An "opinion" ranks below a legal sanction. Under Article 100 of the Broadcasting Act, it is issued when a rule violation is minor and does not call for a penalty. A "recommendation" also counts as administrative guidance. Starting with a "caution," measures become legal sanctions, which can cost a broadcaster points in its official broadcast evaluations.

The review covered scenes that aired April 10, April 24 and May 15. The main issue was the coronation of the character Grand Prince Yi-an. He wore the nine-string crown while his officials shouted, "Cheonse, cheonse, cheoncheonse." Complaints said the scene did not match Korean historical tradition and hurt the country's standing.

Other details also got a look. They included clothing with a rank badge showing a baektaek, a mythical creature; a pattern of the four guardian deities on targets at a school's traditional archery range; and a Chinese-style tea tray. A scene in which the queen dowager kneels before Grand Prince Yi-an was reviewed too. The meeting minutes noted that the "cheonse" chant had been cut from the audio in reruns.

The members did not see the case the same way. The debate came down to creative freedom in alternate-history stories versus responsibility for historical accuracy.

Commissioner Hong Mi-ae said she took into account that the show is set in an imagined era. Still, she said the symbols and expressions used in the coronation needed more careful review. She pointed out that the commission had received 1,019 review requests, and that more than 50,000 people had signed a public petition.

Commissioner Kim Woo-seok said a show that uses historical elements needs basic checks, such as review by experts. He argued that the commission should also look at how the production's fact-checking system actually worked on set.

Commissioner Cho Seung-ho and acting chair Kim Il-gon focused on the setting. The drama does not take place in real history. It is set in a fictional Republic of Korea that is a constitutional monarchy. In their view, the commission should be careful about punishing fantasy and fusion dramas by the same historical standards used for traditional period dramas.

At first, the vote was split two to two between a "recommendation" and an "opinion." During the discussion, the two members who backed a recommendation changed their position. The group then agreed on an opinion.

The case is not fully closed. The commission will ask the broadcaster for more materials about the production process. The request followed a suggestion from Commissioner Kim Woo-seok, who said the commission needed to see how review and verification of historical symbols were actually carried out.

The controversy started after the coronation in Episode 11, which aired May 15. The next day, the production team posted an apology on the show's official website. It said it would edit the crown and "cheonse" scenes in reruns, on VOD and on streaming platforms.

Lead actors IU and Byeon Woo-seok apologized, as did director Park Joon-hwa and writer Yoo Ji-won. As the backlash spread, more than 50,000 people backed a National Assembly public petition. It called for the show to be pulled from the air and the content to be scrapped.

About six months after the controversy broke, the commission chose guidance over a penalty. Its request for production records means it will still look at how the drama checked its history. For K-dramas that borrow from the past to build fictional worlds, the case puts a clear spotlight on where creative freedom ends and responsibility for historical detail begins.