What if present-day South Korea were still a constitutional monarchy?
That question sits at the heart of MBC’s upcoming drama Perfect Crown, a romantic story set in an alternate Korea where a royal family still exists. IU stars as Seong Hee Ju, the sharp and capable second daughter of the powerful Castle Group. She has talent and money, but no special status. Byeon Woo Seok plays Prince Ian, a king’s son with royal blood and no path to the throne.
With teasers and stills sparking early buzz, director Park Jun Hwa shared what pulled him toward the project.
“I chose it because the script was genuinely fun,” Park said. “The constitutional monarchy setting is unfamiliar, but I felt it had the power to make viewers feel excited and emotionally drawn in. Koreans don’t quite experience romance with royalty the way British or Japanese audiences do, so I thought this could offer a different kind of flutter than what we’ve seen before.”
Park was especially drawn to imagining what a Korean monarchy might look like if it had survived into the 21st century. “If the Joseon dynasty had lasted over 600 years and still existed today, how would it differ from royal families overseas? Visualizing that and grounding it in reality were difficult, but incredibly appealing.”
Making that world feel real, however, was the biggest hurdle. “On the page, you can imagine anything,” he explained. “But filming it convincingly in real life came with serious limitations.”
That meant asking very practical questions. “How do you portray royalty in a world full of cars and skyscrapers? What does a king wear inside the palace? Hanbok or something else? Does he stay inside the palace after work, or leave? What do they wear at official events? If it’s hanbok, which kind? The danryeong is beautiful, but would it feel strange paired with short hair and a traditional hat?”
Each of those details risked creating a sense of visual dissonance. Still, Park held firm to one rule. “Because the drama is set in the palace, there are traditional elements we simply couldn’t abandon.”
Blending royal tradition with modern life, Perfect Crown offers a romance that feels fresh yet emotionally familiar. The drama premieres April 3rd.
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