Lead actors IU and Byeon Woo-seok have issued official apologies amid an ongoing controversy over historical distortion in the drama "21st Century Daegunbuin." The actors directly addressed the criticism after backlash spread that the show's settings, props and ceremonial depictions undermined Korea's historical identity.
IU posted on her social media account on Tuesday, introducing herself as "IU, who played Sung Hee-joo in '21st Century Daegunbuin.'" She said she had read viewers' comments one by one over the past several days. "I feel a heavy heart for having disappointed viewers by failing to show a responsible attitude as a lead actor," she wrote.
Regarding the controversy over historical accuracy, she said, "I deeply regret approaching the role without sufficient consideration." She added, "As this was a work based on Korea's unique history and traditional aesthetics, I should have approached it with greater care as an actor, but I failed to do so." She continued, "I am ashamed of myself for not examining the script and settings more carefully and for not having a critical awareness of the issues in advance," offering a renewed apology. She also said, "I will keep viewers' criticism and advice in mind for a long time and approach future works with a more careful attitude."
Byeon Woo-seok also bowed his head with a lengthy post on social media the same day. "I speak with a heavy heart to those who felt uncomfortable because of the work," he said, adding, "During filming and acting, I lacked sufficient consideration of the historical context of the work and how it would be received by the public." He continued, "Through viewers' criticism, I have done much soul-searching." He said, "I have once again realized that as an actor, I must take responsibility not only for the acting but also for the message and meaning the work conveys." Byeon said, "I will think more deeply and approach future works with greater care," expressing his apology.
The controversy began with scenes aired in the latter part of "21st Century Daegunbuin" on the 15th of this month. The drama is set in a fictional Republic of Korea that maintains a constitutional monarchy, but criticism spread online that the royal ceremonies and symbolic depictions in the show were reminiscent of a China-centered order. In particular, a scene in which Grand Prince Lee Ahn (played by Byeon Woo-seok) ascends to the throne as the new king, with his retainers shouting "cheonse" (long live for a thousand years) instead of "manse" (long live for ten thousand years), became the focal point of the controversy. Critics pointed out that "manse" is generally used for the monarch of an independent state, while "cheonse" is used for the monarch of a vassal state, making the choice inappropriate.
The coronation costume and royal headgear also came under fire. Viewers argued that the myeollyugwan (ceremonial crown) worn by the king in the show was closer to the gulyumyeollyugwan, a nine-string crown used by Chinese vassal lords, rather than the sibimyeollyugwan, a twelve-string crown symbolizing an emperor, raising questions about historical awareness. Immediately after the broadcast, criticism spread on online communities and social media that the show "depicted the Republic of Korea as a vassal state of China."
As the controversy grew, the production team also issued an official statement of apology. Through the official website, the producers said, "We apologize for causing concern over the worldbuilding and historical accuracy issues." They added, "We are taking viewers' criticism of the gulyumyeollyugwan and the expression 'cheonse' used in the coronation scene very seriously." They explained, "The issue arose because we did not sufficiently review how the etiquette and symbolic systems of the Joseon Dynasty changed historically."
The production team said, "'21st Century Daegunbuin' is an alternative historical drama centered on romance," but added, "We should have approached the points where the fictional worldview meets actual historical context with greater precision," bowing their heads. They continued, "We reflect on our failure to examine the worldbuilding and details more thoroughly."
Meanwhile, despite the controversy, "21st Century Daegunbuin" recorded a peak nationwide viewership rating of 13.8% (Nielsen Korea) in its final episode.
