New Delhi, Popular South Korean stars IU and Byeon Woo-seok on Monday apologised to fans after the latest episode of their new romance drama “Perfect Crown” sparked online debate over historical inaccuracies and the wrong use of royal terminology.
Set in an alternate universe where Korea is a constitutional monarchy, the romance drama features IU, 33, as Seong Hee-joo, an heiress who has a commoner status as an illegitimate child and enters into a contractual marriage with Grand Prince Ian , the second son of the king. They fall for each other while navigating the hurdles in their highly-publicised marriage.
At the centre of the controversy is the show’s 11th episode that features Ian finally being sworn in as a king.
Many criticised for the usage of the word “Cheonse” instead of “Manse” during the coronation ceremony, arguing that “Cheonse” used to refer to tribute states towards an emperor.
The ceremonial crown worn by Byeon’s character also drew the ire of fans as they said it featured nine bead strings in the front instead of the 12-string design associated with sovereign rulers.
The production team issued an official apology on May 16, saying, “We take the criticism that we have undermined our nation’s sovereign status very seriously.”
Now, both IU, whose real name is Lee Ji-eun, and Byeon, 34, posted a handwritten notes on Instagram to apologise to fans.
“In the past few days, I carefully read eachand every word left by many viewers. I feel very disappointed that I couldn’t show my responsibility as the lead actor of the work and I feel very disappointed,” IU wrote.
The popular-singer actor said she was offering an apology without any excuse.
“Since it was an important work to capture the imagination based on our native history and the traditional beauty of Korea, as an actor, I should have read and studied the scripts more carefully, but I am ashamed of myself for not doing that,” she said, adding that she will be more careful in her future work.
Byeon said he regrets that he lacked thought about “historical context and meaning of the work and how it will be accepted by the viewers.”
“I was able to reflect and reflect through the words of the audience,” the actor said, adding that he has now realised that he needs to look at the context and not just his acting while working on a project.
“I am posting my sincere apologies,” the actor said.
Despite the controversy, “Perfect Crown” has been popular in Korea and beyond with his love story set around modern monarchy.
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