"Grand Duchess" successfully distorted history, so it must be "cancelled." The public speaks with one voice, in an unprecedented situation [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.

'21st Century Grand Duchess' is facing intense controversy over historical distortion, with a flood of demands to cancel the work.

MBC's Friday-Saturday drama "21st Century Grand Duchess" (script by Yoo Ji-won; directed by Park Jun-hwa and Bae Hee-young) concluded its 12-episode run on the 16th with a high viewership rating of 13.8%, but throughout its broadcast, it was plagued by controversies over "historical distortion" and factual errors.

During its airing, Shim Yong-hwan, director of the History N Education Research Institute, pointed out that "the historical research is generally lacking. The premise itself that Prince Lee An (played by Byun Woo-seok) serves as regent in place of the young king is historically impossible," and further noted that "the plot was also influenced by Japan."

Shim Yong-hwan expressed his anger, stating, "Joseon was not a country that used a point-deduction system. The point-deduction system in '21st Century Grand Duchess' shows a profound ignorance of Joseon. I am extremely angry. This point-deduction system is a top-down obedience model like 'do as I say' that emerged during the Japanese colonial period and the authoritarian regime era; it is not Joseon culture. Even when writing answers, Joseon used essay-style responses, engaging in discussion and deliberation to seek the truth."

Additionally, '21st Century Grand Duchess' made errors by referring to Seong Hee-ju (played by IU) not as a wife but as a "military wife," and by including issues with costume research and even incorporating Chinese-style tea ceremony scenes.

The production team's attitude, devoid of historical awareness, ultimately erupted at the conclusion. Problems were revealed in various scenes of the king's coronation ceremony in the 11th episode, which aired on the 15th. Prince Lee An wore a "Guryu Myeonryugwan" (a nine-streamer crown) used by Chinese vassal states, rather than the "Sipimyeonryugwan" (ten-streamer crown) worn by the Emperor of an independent nation. Furthermore, the ministers chanted "Cheonse, Cheonse, Cheoncheonse" (Long live, Long live, Long, long live), which was used by vassal states, instead of "Manse" (Long live), the symbol of an independent nation. An even greater problem is that this work is being released globally via the OTT platform Disney+, resulting in a tragedy where scenes of historical distortion were exposed to international viewers without any corrections.

While public outrage is mounting, the sale of '21st Century Grand Duchess' derivative content is proceeding, sparking further controversy. Despite committing the fatal error of "historical distortion," the production team issued a perfunctory apology, dismissing the issue as merely "world-building settings and historical research concerns."

Among them, Open House Studio Audrey published the '21st Century Grand Duchess' script book as scheduled on the 18th. In response to the "historical distortion" controversy that erupted ahead of the publication, they announced, "Since the first edition has already been produced and priced, the publisher will do its best to minimize inconvenience to readers by providing guidance on corrections and follow-up measures. For customers who purchased the first edition, we plan to provide a digital correction page (PDF) reflecting the corrected content negotiated with the '21st Century Grand Duchess' production team via the publisher's official Instagram account starting May 18. We will also provide a download link along with a Google Form for applying for physical correction stickers."

Furthermore, on the 16th, the full web novel of '21st Century Grand Duchess' was uploaded to the Kakao page. This too had previously exposed "Cheonse, Cheonse, Cheoncheonse" before being deleted late.

As a result, a flood of comments demanding the cancellation of the '21st Century Grand Duchess' web novel have poured onto the page. Netizens are voicing strong criticism: "Why is a Dongbeo Gongjeong (Northeast Project) drama being turned into a web novel?", "I don't know why this author received a script award from MBC and is being pushed further with a novel. The most basic research was not done.", "The author should stop writing.", "Does the Kakao page support the Northeast Project?", "Is the author really Korean? It feels like seeing a traitor at a certain time.", "The Kakao page really lacks awareness.", "Are they really posting this now?", "Take down the work.", "The title is wrong. It should be 'Vassal Wife'.", "It's even more surprising that they launched a web novel for a drama that sells out the country by mixing in Northeast Project and 'one-hit wonder' elements. Even if it's profitable, are they desperate to betray the country?", "Does it mean they don't care if they sell out the country as long as they make money?", "Are they having fun making money through the Northeast Project?", "It's too shocking and a bit sad that a Korean drama has so blatantly and intentionally placed the Northeast Project at the forefront. This is our culture and history; let's cherish it a bit more.", "Do you want to make money by selling out the country through the Northeast Project? The novel, the drama, and the script book should all be cancelled."

In fact, the SBS drama "Joseon Exorcist," which aired in March 2021, was cancelled after just two episodes due to controversies over "historical distortion" and the "Northeast Project." At the time, the national petition to halt the broadcast of "Joseon Exorcist" received over 130,000 signatures in a single day. In light of this precedent, netizens are now calling for the cancellation of '21st Century Grand Duchess' with one voice. "If the truth had been revealed from the first episode like 'Joseon Exorcist,' it would have been cancelled early," and "It seems they will continue like this. Since it was successful, it should be completely removed," are the predominant reactions.

Among them, writer Yoo Ji-won has remained silent, and the controversy is expected to continue. Writer Yoo won the 2022 MBC script competition with the original script "21st Century Grand Duchess." Director Park Jun-hwa, the director, is scheduled to proceed with the "21st Century Grand Duchess" wrap-up interview as planned on the 19th. It remains to be seen whether Director Park will address the public's demands for cancellation and state his position.

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*This content was translated by AI.