30 Billion Won Blockbuster ’21st Century Grand Prince’s Wife’ Ends in Disgrace Over Historical Distortion

’21st Century Grand Prince’s Wife’ has wrapped up its 12-episode run. However, it is facing a disgraceful exit as allegations of fatal historical distortion spread alongside its finale.

The final episode of MBC’s Friday-Saturday drama ’21st Century Grand Prince’s Wife’ aired on the 16th. The series concluded with a happy ending for Grand Prince Ian (played by Byeon Woo-seok) and Seong Hee-joo (played by IU), who live as an ordinary couple after the abolition of the constitutional monarchy. However, the controversy surrounding historical distortion has taken center stage, overshadowing the finale.

Throughout its run, ’21st Century Grand Prince’s Wife’ faced complaints from some viewers regarding loose plot points and settings. Critics pointed out a lack of justification for 21st-century Korea becoming a constitutional monarchy, with some even speculating if Korea was portrayed as a war criminal state, as the social hierarchy resembled the current Japanese Imperial family more than the Joseon Dynasty.

In the actual Joseon royal court, the status of a Queen Dowager who gave birth to a king is higher than that of a Grand Prince. Critics noted that it is impossible for a constitutional monarchy rooted in the Joseon Dynasty for Grand Prince Ian to act as regent for the young King Lee Yoon (played by Kim Eun-ho) while Queen Dowager Yoon Yi-rang (played by Gong Seung-yeon) kneels and pleads before him.

Following the 11th episode, concerns about the “Northeast Project” (cultural distortion) escalated. Issues included the use of “Cheon-se” (a term used by vassal states toward an empire) instead of “Man-se” (a symbol of an independent nation) during Grand Prince Ian’s coronation. Additionally, he wore a “nine-ringed crown” (representing a vassal) instead of the “twelve-ringed crown” worn by the emperor of an independent state.

Historically, King Gojong declared the Korean Empire in 1897 and ascended as Emperor. While ’21st Century Grand Prince’s Wife’ is a parallel world diverging after Crown Prince Munhyo’s ascension following King Jeongjo, it would be appropriate to use the title “Emperor” rather than “King” for an independent nation. However, the drama’s terminology assumes Korea is a vassal state under Chinese rule, a fatal error stemming from a clumsy adaptation of Joseon settings.

Netizens expressed concern that depicting Korea as a vassal state could create a false perception that Korean history was subordinate to another country. Some even reacted that Seong Hee-joo’s use of Chinese tea ceremonies and her refusal to wear Hanbok were intentional attempts to belittle Korean history.

In response to the growing controversy, the production team issued an official apology. Through their official website, they stated, “We sincerely apologize for causing concern regarding the world-building settings and historical verification issues to those who watched the drama with affection,” adding, “This occurred because the production team failed to carefully examine how Joseon’s etiquette evolved throughout history.”

They continued, “As ’21st Century Grand Prince’s Wife’ is both a romance and an alternate history drama, it required careful and deep consideration regarding the intersection of a fictional world and real historical context, but we lacked the effort to refine the world-building and examine it more closely. We humbly accept the viewers’ criticism and will correct the audio and subtitles of the relevant parts as quickly as possible for future reruns, VOD, and OTT services. We deeply apologize once again for the inconvenience. Our production team will do our best to create works that reward the trust of our viewers with a heavier sense of responsibility.”

Consequently, the audio shouting “Cheon-se” was removed from the rerun of episode 11 on the afternoon of the 16th. Additionally, some expressions in the upcoming script book for ’21st Century Grand Prince’s Wife’ will be revised. Publisher Open House announced on the 16th, “We are consulting with the production team regarding certain ceremonial expressions that the production team announced would be corrected.” They added, “The publisher takes this matter seriously and will provide a separate notice to first-edition pre-order readers and reflect the corrections in subsequent printings.”

Since first-edition production and shipping are already underway, they stated, “Starting Monday, May 18, we will provide a digital correction page (PDF) reflecting the agreed-upon corrections via the publisher’s official Instagram account. We will also provide a Google Form to apply for physical correction stickers, which can be pasted into the text. These will be sent to readers who apply.” They added, “Refunds are possible according to the regulations and procedures of the place of purchase.”

Despite these follow-up measures, public sentiment remains cold. Since the errors are systemic and the show was broadcast via a global OTT platform, many feel that simply correcting the term “Cheon-se” does not solve the problem. This is why some are calling for the show to be “scrapped.” Ultimately, while ’21st Century Grand Prince’s Wife’ succeeded commercially—boasting a massive 30 billion won budget, a star-studded cast, double-digit ratings, and a record as the ‘most-watched Korean series worldwide’ on Disney+—it meets a bitter end, branded with the painful labels of ‘historical distortion’ and ‘Northeast Project.’