Seo Kyung-duk slams Perfect Crown over historical distortion

May 19, 2026, 10:25 am

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A promotional image for the MBC drama Perfect Crown. /MBC

Seo Kyung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women’s University known for his campaigns promoting Korean history and culture, criticized the historical drama Perfect Crown on Monday, arguing that its historical inaccuracies could provide justification for China’s controversial “Northeast Project.”

Seo wrote on Instagram that growing controversy surrounding the series’ depiction of Korean royal customs was “deeply concerning.”

Referring to Episode 11, which aired on May 15, he pointed out that a coronation scene for Prince Ian used the expression “Cheonse,” a term historically associated with tributary states, rather than language reserved for sovereign rulers.

He also criticized the production for depicting the prince wearing a nine-tier ceremonial crown traditionally used by feudal lords instead of the 12-tier crown worn by emperors.

Seo further noted that scenes showing characters practicing Chinese-style tea ceremonies rather than traditional Korean customs had triggered strong backlash among viewers.

“The biggest problem with this controversy is that it provides grounds for China’s Northeast Project,” Seo said, referring to Beijing’s state-backed historical research initiative that critics say attempts to incorporate ancient Korean kingdoms into Chinese history.

“If historical content distributed globally through OTT platforms is meant for international audiences, producers must carefully examine not only historical accuracy but also ongoing historical distortion efforts by neighboring countries,” he added.

Seo also referenced the 2021 SBS drama Joseon Exorcist, which was canceled after just two episodes following accusations of distorting Korean history and overusing Chinese-style props and food.

The production team behind Perfect Crown previously issued an official apology, acknowledging criticism over the use of the ceremonial crown and the “Cheonse” expression.

“We take viewers’ concerns seriously regarding scenes that may have undermined Korea’s sovereign status,” the producers said in a statement, adding that they had failed to fully consider how Joseon-era court customs evolved historically.

The producers emphasized that the series is both a romance drama and an alternate-history work, but admitted that they had not refined the fictional worldbuilding carefully enough.

They also announced plans to revise the controversial scenes’ audio and subtitles for rebroadcasts, VOD and OTT streaming services.

However, criticism has continued despite separate apology statements released by lead actors IU and Byeon Woo-seok.

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