Korean Historian Challenges Accuracy of “Perfect Crown” Historical Depiction
IU’s hit K-Drama Perfect Crown is getting called out by a historian for its shaky historical facts.
The controversy began when historian Shim Yong Hwan posted a video on April 28 breaking down the drama starring IU and Byun Woo Seok. Shim said alternate history stories like this are fun and spark imagination but warned Perfect Crown “definitely leans towards fiction.”
Shim called out the show’s main idea — a modern constitutional monarchy in Korea — as “highly unlikely.” He explained how after the Joseon dynasty fell, the royal family lost real power and influence. He pointed to Crown Prince Yeong wearing a Japanese uniform and President Syngman Rhee ignoring the monarchy after liberation.
“The reason constitutional monarchy did not continue into 21st-century Korea is, sadly, because the Joseon royal family did nothing after its fall. Crown Prince Yeong wore a Japanese military uniform and played a collaborator role, and there is even a photo showing a composition where President Syngman Rhee appears to disregard him after liberation. The film The Last Princess is heavily beautified by nationalist sentiment, but in reality, Princess Deokhye did almost nothing.”
— Historian Shim Yong Hwan
Shim also slammed the drama’s take on royal power, saying it’s impossible a royal relative like Grand Prince Ian (played by Byun Woo Seok) would hold real authority in Joseon’s strict system.
“Historically, it is impossible. Joseon was a country that strictly blocked interference from royal relatives. After King Sejo’s betrayal, they never gave power to royal relatives. Heungseon Daewongun also ruled as regent only in a special situation where royal authority was extremely weak, but he stepped down after Choi Ik Hyun’s petition. But since the drama’s main character is Byun Woo Seok, what can you do?”
— Historian Shim Yong Hwan
The historian also flagged inaccuracies in palace fires, hanbok design, and royal titles — some breaches of actual court etiquette.
“Terms like yeonggam and daegam indicate the scope of official ranks. In the drama, mixing royal attire patterns or loosening a dragon robe would, by etiquette, be punishable by beheading, but I see it as an area of design consideration.”
— Historian Shim Yong Hwan
Still, Shim ended on a positive note calling the drama “an interesting experiment in modern Hallyu storytelling” despite its flaws.
Perfect Crown keeps climbing in popularity with ratings hitting over 11%. The debate over how much fiction to use in historical dramas is only heating up.