Get ready, K-drama fans! IU and Byun Woo-seok’s hit drama ’21st Century Grand Prince’ is making headlines again, this time for a historical distortion controversy. The good news? Parts of its script book are set to be revised!
On the 16th, publisher Ofanhouse shared on their official social media that they are in talks with the ’21st Century Grand Prince’ production team. This comes after the drama’s crew released a statement and revision plan concerning certain ceremonial expressions in the script.
The publisher emphasized that they are taking the issue seriously. They plan to send a separate notice to fans who pre-ordered the first edition, and all future printings will include the corrected content.
Since the first edition has already been produced and shipped, the publisher is committed to minimizing any inconvenience for readers. They will provide correction notices and follow-up actions, including a revised PDF and physical correction stickers for those who purchased the initial release.
The controversy first sparked when a scene in ’21st Century Grand Prince’ showed ministers shouting ‘Cheonse’ during Grand Prince Ian’s (played by Byun Woo-seok) enthronement. For those unfamiliar, ‘Cheonse’ was typically used by states under an imperial power, unlike ‘Manse,’ which signifies an independent nation. Adding fuel to the fire, Grand Prince Ian was depicted wearing ‘Guryumyeongwan’ (a minister’s ceremonial attire) instead of the emperor’s ‘Sibimyeongwan’ (a twelve-stringed crown), leading to further criticism.
As the controversy intensified, the production team issued an apology. They stated, ‘We take viewers’ criticisms seriously, acknowledging that depicting the king wearing ‘Guryumyeongwan’ and ministers shouting ‘Cheonse’ during the enthronement scene in the drama undermined our nation’s independent status.’ They admitted the issue stemmed from ‘not sufficiently reviewing how Joseon’s etiquette evolved historically.’
In other news, the Friday-Saturday drama ’21st Century Grand Prince’ recently wrapped up its run! Set in a 21st-century constitutional monarchy in South Korea, this drama captivated audiences with a romance that defies social status, featuring a commoner woman who has everything and a king’s son who seemingly has nothing. It concluded on the 16th, achieving an impressive nationwide household viewership rating of 13.8% (Nielsen Korea).
