The results are in for the regulatory review of historical accuracy controversies surrounding MBC’s Perfect Crown, including its use of “cheonsae” and a nine-string ceremonial crown.
Top Star News reported on November 12th that, according to the minutes of the 29th meeting of the Broadcast Review Subcommittee in 2026, released by the Broadcast Media and Communications Review Committee, the committee reviewed three cases concerning Perfect Crown broadcasts on MBC TV, MBC Dramanet and MBC ON together on November 3rd. It unanimously voted to issue an “expression of opinion.”
An “expression of opinion” is administrative guidance, not a statutory sanction under the Broadcasting Act. Article 100 of the current act stipulates that when a violation of review regulations is minor and does not warrant a sanction, the Broadcast Media and Communications Review Committee may recommend action or issue an opinion to a broadcaster or program representative.
Among broadcast review measures, an “expression of opinion” and a “recommendation” are forms of administrative guidance. Measures from a “caution” onward are statutory sanctions and may affect a broadcaster’s evaluation scores, among other consequences. Accordingly, concerns about historical accuracy in Perfect Crown were recognized, but the matter did not result in a statutory sanction.
The review covered episodes aired on MBC on April 10th and 24th, and May 15th.
Complaints submitted to the committee alleged that the program distorted history and diminished the nation’s standing. They cited, among other scenes, Prince Ian wearing a nine-string ceremonial crown during his enthronement as courtiers chanted “cheonsae, cheonsae, cheoncheonse” (“May you reign for a thousand years, a thousand years, ten thousand years”), as well as the use of a Chinese-style tea tray and clothing bearing a Baektaek beast insignia on the chest.
The minutes show that the review covered not only the widely publicized enthronement scene, but also the Baektaek insignia shown in the April 10th episode; the Four Symbols, including the Vermilion Bird, depicted on an archery target at the school’s archery range in the April 24th episode; and a tea tray and a court lady kneeling before Prince Ian featured in the May 15th episode.
The rebroadcast of the enthronement scene on MBC Dramanet and MBC ON was also discussed as a separate case. According to the minutes, the audio of the “cheonsae” chant was removed from those episodes.
The provision under consideration was Article 25, Clause 3 (Ethics) of the Regulations on Broadcast Review. It requires broadcasts to avoid undermining the dignity and pride of the nation.
The review committee members discussed how far creative freedom in alternate-history works should extend and what responsibility productions have to ensure the accuracy of historical symbols.
Committee member Hong Mi Ae said creative freedom should be broadly recognized because the drama is an alternate-history work, but judged that the enthronement crown and the “cheonsae” chant required more careful historical research. She also noted that 1,019 complaints had been filed and that a national petition had garnered more than 50,000 supporters.
Committee member Kim Woo Seog likewise argued that productions using historical symbols should undergo a minimum level of verification, such as review by experts. He said it was necessary to establish how historical fact-checking had been handled during production.
By contrast, committee member Cho Seung Ho and acting chair Kim Il Gon said caution was warranted before imposing sanctions for failing to meet the same historical standards as a traditional period drama, given that Perfect Crown is a fantasy drama set in a fictional constitutional monarchy in Korea.
Initially, the members were split, with two favoring a “recommendation” and two an “expression of opinion.” After discussion, the members who had supported a recommendation agreed to issue an expression of opinion, bringing all four members to a unanimous decision.
However, the committee decided to request materials from MBC about the production process, separately from the review. Kim Woo Seog proposed checking whether a system for reviewing historical elements had functioned properly during production, and the other members agreed.
Perfect Crown came under fire over its historical accuracy after an enthronement scene in episode 11, which aired on May 15th.
The production team apologized on the drama’s official website the following day. It said it accepted viewers’ criticism of the crown and the “cheonsae” scene and would revise the relevant footage for rebroadcasts, video-on-demand services and streaming platforms. IU, Byeon Woo Seok, director Park Jun Hwa and writer Yoo Ji Won also issued apologies in succession.
A national petition calling for the series to be taken off the air and its content removed received more than 50,000 supporters.
The committee’s final decision, announced about six months after the controversy, was an “expression of opinion,” not a statutory sanction. The committee has also decided to request additional materials from MBC on the production and historical-review process, putting the verification procedures used during production in the spotlight.
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