Petition calling for cancellation of 'Perfect Crown' surpasses 25,000 signatures amid controversy

23 May 2026, 23:55 by hjang · allkpop

A public petition demanding the cancellation of MBC’s drama 'Perfect Crown' is rapidly gaining traction following the series’ historical distortion controversy, despite public apologies from the production team, cast, and writer.

On May 22 KST, a petition requesting the removal of the drama was posted on the South Korean National Assembly’s public petition board.

The petitioner claimed the series repeatedly featured “clear historical inaccuracies and directing choices seemingly influenced by another country’s cultural agenda,” sparking widespread public backlash. The petition specifically pointed to controversies involving distorted royal titles and national status, the excessive borrowing of foreign cultural elements, and inaccuracies in symbolic royal costumes.

The petition further urged authorities to take immediate action, stating, "The Korea Communications Standards Commission and relevant government agencies must immediately suspend the broadcast of this drama, which has committed severe historical distortion and cultural infringement." It also called for the complete removal of the series from all domestic and overseas VOD and OTT platforms to prevent the spread of what the petitioner described as distorted cultural representations.

In addition, the petitioner requested permanent sanctions against broadcasters that “damage national identity and cultural sovereignty under the guise of fiction,” including restrictions on broadcasting licenses and exclusion from future government funding.

The petition will remain open until June 21 KST. If it gathers 50,000 signatures within 30 days, it will be referred to a relevant parliamentary committee. As of May 23 KST, the petition had accumulated 25,549 signatures, surpassing half of the required threshold in less than two days.

The controversy surrounding 'Perfect Crown' escalated after Episode 11, which aired before the drama concluded on May 16 KST. In one disputed scene featuring the coronation of Grand Prince Ian, portrayed by Byeon Woo Seok, officials shouted “Cheonse,” a term historically associated with vassal states, instead of “Manse,” which symbolized an independent sovereign nation. Viewers also criticized the use of a nine-bead ceremonial crown traditionally worn by Chinese royal subordinates rather than the twelve-bead crown reserved for emperors of sovereign states.

In response to the backlash, the production team stated, "We sincerely bow our heads in apology for causing concern over issues related to the drama’s fictional world-building and historical accuracy. We take viewers’ criticism very seriously and will revise the relevant audio and subtitles in rebroadcasts as well as VOD and OTT services as quickly as possible."

Director Park Joon Hwa, writer Yoo Ji Won, and lead actors IU and Byeon Woo Seok also publicly apologized over the controversy.

The production team has since announced plans to remove the disputed scenes from future releases. A pop-up store for the drama operating at a department store in Yeouido is also set to close earlier than originally scheduled.

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