Prof. Seo Kyoung-duk expresses concern over 'The Grand Lady'... "Provided pretext for Northeast Asian Project"

[Dispatch=Reporter Kim Ji-ho] Professor Seo Kyung-deok, a Korean public relations expert at Sungshin Women's University, expressed deep concern over historical distortion controversies surrounding MBC-TV's "The Grand Lady."

Professor Seo mentioned the problematic scene from episode 11 of "The Grand Lady" through his personal SNS on the 19th. It is a scene where Ian (played by Byun Woo-seok) uses the expression "cheonse," which is used by vassal states, during an enthronement ceremony and wears a guryumyeongwan, which signifies a vassal.

During a psychological battle between Sung Hee-ju (played by IU) and the Queen Dowager (played by Gong Seung-yeon), the presentation of Chinese-style tea ceremony was also problematic. Hee-ju spilled tea water and pressured the Queen Dowager. This is completely different from the Korean traditional method.

Professor Seo Kyung-deok stated, "The related controversy is currently spreading in Chinese-speaking online communities and SNS," and pointed out that "the biggest problem with this controversy is that it provided grounds for China's Northeast Project."

"The Grand Lady" is a piece of content watched by global audiences through the global OTT Disney+. Moreover, it is an alternative history drama. While it has strong fantasy elements, its foundation is drawn from the Joseon Dynasty.

Professor Seo said, "Not only accurate historical research, but also neighboring countries' historical distortion situations should have been carefully checked," and added, "missing this part is the most painful."

He continued, "From now on, the controversies surrounding SBS-TV's 'Joseon Exorcist' and 'The Grand Lady' should serve as a mirror, and we must be careful to prevent such incidents from recurring in the future."

The "Grand Lady" controversy is still ongoing. Various settings, production choices, and names shown in the drama continue to receive attention.

Problems arose over the fact that the hereditary prime minister's family is named "Min," and the Chinese characters used in Ian's real name "Ewan" are the same as the first two characters of the historical figure "Yi Wan-yong."

Suspicions that the royal family in "The Grand Lady" world was modeled after the Japanese imperial family are also intense. It is pointed out that applying "The Grand Lady" settings to the Japanese imperial family and school situations creates plausibility.

Meanwhile, lead actors IU and Byun Woo-seok posted handwritten apologies on the 18th regarding concerns about historical distortion and the Northeast Project. The production team of "The Grand Lady" also issued an official apology on the 16th.

by. Jiho Kim