National Assembly petition over ‘Perfect Crown’ historical controversy surpasses 50,000 signatures

26 May 2026, 05:57 by Minsoo-Kim · allkpop

The controversy surrounding MBC’s Friday-Saturday drama 'Perfect Crown' has escalated after a National Assembly public petition concerning alleged historical distortion officially met the required threshold for review.

As of May 26 KST, the petition titled “Request for the suspension and removal of historically distorted and Northeast Project-related drama content from media platforms” surpassed 50,000 signatures. Under South Korean law, petitions that gather at least 50,000 signatures within 30 days are referred to a relevant parliamentary committee for review.

The petitioner argued that although the drama is set in a fictional version of Korea, it “indiscriminately borrows Chinese-style clothing, etiquette and terminology,” claiming the series amounts to cultural appropriation and historical distortion.

The petition further stated that the drama “seriously damages public sentiment and spreads distorted representations of Korean cultural identity globally,” calling not only for the immediate suspension of broadcasts but also for the removal of the series from VOD and OTT platforms. The petitioner additionally urged lawmakers to establish institutional measures preventing similar “cultural encroachment-style media content” in the future.

As a result, issues including the suspension of the drama and potential removal from streaming services will now undergo parliamentary review and may later be submitted to the National Assembly plenary session or forwarded to the government depending on the outcome.

The situation has drawn comparisons to 'Joseon Exorcist', which was canceled in 2021 following similar accusations of historical distortion and links to China’s “Northeast Project” narrative. At the time, a related Blue House petition gathered around 70,000 signatures within a single day, leading major advertisers to withdraw sponsorships before SBS ultimately canceled the series after only two episodes.

Unlike the earlier case, the current petition specifically calls for the complete removal of the content from VOD and OTT services. Parliamentary discussions could therefore expand to include broadcasters’ obligations to revise disputed content, correction responsibilities for overseas distribution versions, and the mandatory use of historical consultants during production.

Separately, South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has reportedly launched an investigation into production funding support connected to Perfect Crown through the Korea Creative Content Agency.

The drama had previously been selected as one of the final projects supported under the agency’s 2025 OTT-specialized content production support program. According to reports, the agency plans to conduct a project evaluation in May and may reclaim funding if the production is deemed ineligible.

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