“21st Century Grand Prince’s Consort” Hits Record Ratings, But Production Team and Publisher Apologize for Historical Distortion Controversy

“21st Century Grand Prince’s Consort” has found itself in the middle of a historical distortion controversy, leading the production team and publisher to issue an apology.

The MBC Friday-Saturday drama “21st Century Grand Prince’s Consort” (Written by Yu Ji-won / Directed by Park Jun-hwa and Bae Hee-young / Planned by Kang Dae-sun / Produced by MBC and Kakao Entertainment) posted an official apology on their website on May 16.

The controversy stems from a scene in episode 11, aired on May 15, during the coronation of Grand Prince Ian (Byeon Woo-seok). It was pointed out that he wore the “Nine-ringed Crown,” which is for vassal states, instead of the “Twelve-ringed Crown” worn by independent emperors. Additionally, officials were criticized for shouting “Cheon-se” (Thousand Years), a term used for vassals, instead of “Man-se” (Ten Thousand Years) for an emperor.

The production team stated, “We take the viewers’ feedback seriously, noting that the scene where the king wears the ‘Nine-ringed Crown’ and officials shout ‘Cheon-se’ during the coronation undermines our country’s sovereign status.”

They continued, “This happened because the production team did not carefully examine how Joseon’s etiquette evolved throughout history. As ’21st Century Grand Prince’s Consort’ is both a romance and an alternative history drama, we needed deeper consideration regarding the intersection of a fictional world and real historical context, but we lacked the effort to refine the worldview precisely.”

They added, “We humbly accept the criticism and will correct the audio and subtitles in reruns, VOD, and OTT services as quickly as possible. We deeply apologize once again for the inconvenience caused to our viewers.”

The script book publisher, Open House, also shared a notice via official social media on the same day regarding the script book set for release on the 18th.

The publisher stated, “We are coordinating with the production team regarding certain ceremonial expressions that the production team has announced will be corrected. We take this matter seriously and will provide a separate notice to readers who pre-ordered the first edition, and the corrections will be reflected in subsequent prints.”

However, they noted, “Since the production and shipment of the first edition have already proceeded, we will do our best to minimize inconvenience through guidance and follow-up measures. We plan to provide a digital correction page (PDF) along with a Google Form to request physical correction stickers, which can be pasted into the text.”

Meanwhile, the final episode of “21st Century Grand Prince’s Consort,” aired on the 16th, recorded ratings of 14.1% in the Seoul metropolitan area and 13.8% nationwide, with 5.9% in the 20-54 age group, breaking its own record. It also ranked first among all Saturday programs, peaking at 16.1% (according to Nielsen Korea).