"Scrap 'Perfect Crown'"... 50,000 petitioners' request sent to the National Assembly

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[Financial News] A National Assembly Public Petition calling for the cancellation of MBC's drama "Perfect Crown," which has sparked controversy over historical distortion and claims of promoting Chinese cultural influence, has been referred to the National Assembly.
As of the 22nd, the petition, titled "A petition calling for the suspension of a drama accused of historical distortion and promoting Chinese cultural influence, and for the removal of its content from media platforms," had surpassed 50,000 signatures in just four days. Under the National Assembly Act, it has now become subject to review by the relevant Standing Committee. By reaching the 50,000-signature threshold within 30 days of registration, it has been elevated to a National Assembly-level agenda.
The petitioner demanded that the production be scrapped, saying, "Although the story is set in a fictional version of Korea, it indiscriminately borrows Chinese-style clothing, etiquette, and vocabulary, which clearly amounts to cultural appropriation and historical distortion."
The petition also pointed out that the royal slogan "Cheonse," which denigrates South Korea to the level of a vassal state, was used as an official royal term. It added that, while the drama is set in a Korean royal household, it exposed viewers to a "Chinese-style tea ceremony" without restraint instead of a traditional Korean tea ceremony. It further argued that the show distorts and mixes the attire of Joseon kings with imperial symbols, planting false cultural perceptions in viewers.
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The petitioner said, "The production team is pushing ahead with the broadcast after issuing only a statement saying it would revise the audio and subtitles after criticism arose. This is an act that seriously tramples on public sentiment and spreads a distorted image of Korea's cultural identity around the world." The petitioner added, "Beyond simple post-production corrections, we strongly urge an immediate suspension of the drama's broadcast, a full removal from VOD and OTT platforms, and the establishment of institutional safeguards to permanently expel such culturally invasive media content in the future."
Accordingly, agenda items such as the cancellation of the broadcast of "Perfect Crown" will be handled after review by the National Assembly's committee, with possible referral to the full Senate session or transmission to the Government of South Korea depending on the outcome.
At the same time, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) has begun an investigation into a complaint requesting oversight of KOCCA's production funding support for "Perfect Crown."
"Perfect Crown" was selected as one of the final drama titles in KOCCA's 2025 "OTT-Specialized Content Production Support (IP Acquisition Type)" program. The project covers seven works worth 7.5 billion won, and four dramas were selected from 89 submissions.
KOCCA is reportedly reviewing whether to reclaim the subsidy if the project is found to be ineligible after its performance evaluation later this month.
y27k@fnnews.com Seo Yoon-kyung Reporter