MBC’s drama ’21st Century Daegun Buin’ has issued a formal apology after sparking a historical distortion controversy over certain settings and dialogue in the show.
On the 16th, the ’21st Century Daegun Buin’ team posted a statement on their website, saying, “We sincerely bow our heads and apologize to the many fans who have watched the drama with affection for causing concern regarding the world-building settings and historical verification issues.”
The controversy stems from episode 11, which aired on the 15th. Viewers pointed out that the characters shouted “Cheonse,” a term used by vassal states, instead of “Manse,” the symbol of an independent state. Additionally, the King was seen wearing a “nine-ringed crown” used by kings of vassal states, rather than the “twelve-ringed crown” worn by emperors of independent states.
The production team stated, “We are taking the viewers’ feedback very seriously, specifically regarding the scene where the King (played by Byeon Woo-seok) wears the nine-ringed crown during the coronation and the officials shout ‘Cheonse,’ which undermines the independent status of our country.” They explained, “This occurred because we failed to carefully examine how Joseon’s etiquette evolved throughout history.”
They continued, “Since ’21st Century Daegun Buin’ is both a romance and an alternative history drama, we needed deep and careful 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.” The team added, “We humbly accept the criticism and will correct the audio and subtitles in future reruns, VOD, and OTT services as quickly as possible.”
Full Statement
This is the production team of <21st Century Daegun Buin>. We sincerely bow our heads and apologize to the many people who have watched the drama with affection for causing concern regarding the world-building settings and historical verification issues.
The production team is taking the viewers’ points seriously, specifically the scene where the King wears the ‘nine-ringed crown’ during the coronation and the officials shout ‘Cheonse,’ which undermines our country’s independent status.
This happened because the production team failed to carefully examine how Joseon’s etiquette changed throughout history. <21st Century Daegun Buin> is a drama that functions as both a romance and an alternative history piece, and while we needed careful and in-depth consideration regarding the intersection of a fictional world and real historical context, we lacked the effort to refine the world-building and examine it more closely.
We humbly accept the criticism from our viewers and will correct the audio and subtitles in future reruns, VOD, and OTT services as quickly as possible. We deeply apologize once again for the discomfort caused to our viewers.
Moving forward, our production team will carry a heavier sense of responsibility and do our best to create a work that rewards the trust of our viewers.
