Perfect Crown: Amid Backlash, MBC Brings Back IU, Byeon Woo-Seok's K-drama With Special TV Marathon Event

Perfect

Crown continues to grab headlines even after the show has ended. MBC is moving ahead with a special marathon broadcast of IU and Byeon Woo-Seok's K-drama despite controversy. While the series enjoyed strong ratings during its original run, recent episodes sparked criticism over alleged historical inaccuracies involving royal titles, ceremonial chants, and symbolic attire. The backlash quickly escalated online, with a National Assembly petition surpassing 50,000 signatures and triggering an official review. The leading cast has also publicly apologized. Amid this, MBC’s decision to continue re-airing the drama has reignited debate among viewers.

Perfect Crown special TV marathon event

Perfect Crown is returning to television with a special full-episode marathon on June 3 and 4, even as controversy surrounding the K-drama continues to intensify. According to reports by OSEN and The Chosun Daily, MBC Drama Net will air episodes 1 to 6 in a single block on June 3, followed by episodes 7 to 12 on June 4, giving viewers a complete binge-watch experience of the modern constitutional monarchy romance starring IU and Byeon Woo-seok.

About Perfect Crown controversy

The controversy surrounding Perfect Crown largely stemmed from accusations of historical distortion and concerns over how Korean sovereignty was portrayed in the drama’s final episodes. Much of the backlash focused on Grand Prince Ian’s coronation scene, where viewers noticed the use of a nine-stranded royal crown historically associated with tributary or subordinate rulers, instead of the 12-stranded imperial headpiece traditionally linked to an independent sovereign.

The scene also drew criticism for featuring officials chanting “Cheonse” (“Long live for 1,000 years”) rather than the more nationally symbolic “Manse” (“Long live for 10,000 years”). Earlier episodes had already sparked debate for incorporating Chinese-style royal customs and tea ceremonies, leading some viewers to accuse the production of blurring Korean historical identity and cultural traditions.Following the backlash, the production team behind Perfect Crown released a public apology, acknowledging the controversy and promising revisions to certain audio lines, subtitles, and VOD versions ahead of future broadcasts and streaming releases. Lead stars IU and Byeon Woo-Seok also addressed the issue publicly as criticism continued to spread online.

Meanwhile, the backlash continues to grow, with over 50,000 signatures now submitted to South Korea’s National Assembly petition board calling for the drama’s suspension and removal from streaming services. While the petition has intensified public scrutiny around the show, legal analysts and entertainment insiders suggest it is unlikely to directly force the drama off OTT platforms.