MBC drama 'Perfect Crown' passes KOCCA production support evaluation

The Korea Creative Content Agency has issued a passing grade for the MBC drama 'Perfect Crown' following a June evaluation, despite controversy over historical distortions during its 12-episode run from April 10 to May 16.

The Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) has reportedly issued a passing grade in the production support evaluation for the MBC Friday-Saturday drama 'Perfect Crown', which faced controversy over historical distortions, it was reported on the 6th. KOCCA conducted the evaluation this past June, and it is understood that there have been no changes to the results and no procedures for reclaiming the support funds have been initiated as of the beginning of this month.

The work was selected as a long-form drama recipient for KOCCA's 2025 'OTT-Specialized Content Production Support (IP Acquisition Type)' project. This project was announced with a scale of 7.5 billion won to support seven drama and non-drama works, with a maximum support amount of 2 billion won per long-form drama, though the actual amounts paid were not disclosed.

KOCCA previously stated on May 21 that the production support budget had already been executed and that it would comprehensively evaluate whether there were any violations during the project implementation process. While the agency explained that reclamation or reduction of funds was possible depending on the results, the actual evaluation resulted in a pass.

The 12-episode drama, which aired from April 10 to May 16, faced controversy during its 11th episode. Despite the setting being a 21st-century constitutional monarchy, criticisms were raised that during the coronation, officials shouted "Cheonse" (a term used in vassal states) instead of "Manse," and the King wore a "Guryumyeonryugwan" (a crown used by subjects of a vassal state) instead of a "Sipmyeonryugwan."

As the controversy grew, the production team, lead actors IU and Byeon Woo-seok, and writer Yoo Ji-won bowed their heads in apology, stating they sincerely apologize for causing concern regarding the world-building settings and historical research issues.

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