Historian Sim Yong-hwan Critiques Historical Inaccuracies in MBC's '21st Century Grand Princess'

Renowned historian Sim Yong-hwan has pointed out historical inaccuracies in MBC's weekend drama '21st Century Grand Princess,' while discussing the potential and limitations of alternate history genres.

On October 28, Sim Yong-hwan's YouTube channel 'Current Affairs with Sim Yong-hwan' released a video titled 'Historical Analysis and Fact Check of the Drama 21st Century Grand Princess.' In the video, Sim compared and analyzed the settings of the drama, starring IU and Byun Woo-seok, with historical facts.

Sim explained, "Alternate history genres like '21st Century Grand Princess' are a popular trend in webtoons and web novels. The advantage lies in the expansion of imagination, and with a solid foundation, it can become a more sophisticated work." However, he noted some historical inaccuracies, such as the palace fire scene and certain settings. He also pointed out that the arrangement of court ladies during the king's birthday scene was inaccurate, explaining that welcoming the king is the role of court officials, and court ladies should meet him inside.

Regarding the main setting of a constitutional monarchy, Sim found it unrealistic. He stated, "The reason a constitutional monarchy couldn't continue in 21st century Korea is sadly because the Joseon royal family did nothing after its fall. Prince Yeongchin wore a Japanese military uniform and acted as a collaborator, and there are photos suggesting President Syngman Rhee ignored him after liberation. The film 'The Last Princess' is largely romanticized with nationalist sentiments, but in reality, Princess Deokhye did very little."

Regarding the portrayal of Grand Prince Ian (played by Byun Woo-seok) as a powerful figure, Sim remarked, "This is the biggest error. Byun Woo-seok is the protagonist, so what can you do?" eliciting laughter. He continued, "Historically, it's impossible. Joseon was a country that strictly prevented interference from royal relatives. After King Sejo's betrayal, power was never given to royal relatives. Even Heungseon Daewongun only regented in a special situation where the royal authority was very weak, but he was ousted due to Choi Ik-hyeon's appeal."

Sim also commented on the titles and clothing depicted in the drama. He noted, "Titles like 'Young-gam' or 'Dae-gam' indicate the range of official positions," adding, "Mixing patterns of official robes or loosening dragon robes in the drama is a capital offense in terms of etiquette, but I see it as a matter of design consideration."

Concluding his analysis, Sim evaluated, "'21st Century Grand Princess' is, frankly speaking, influenced by Japanese plots. It's a plot heavily used in Japanese animations, movies, and novels." He added, "While works like '21st Century Grand Princess' may seem low-level from a traditional historical perspective, they are an interesting experiment in creating new Korean culture. I hope more such works emerge, leading to more detailed and creative stories."

He further noted, "Gyeongbokgung, Hangul, and Admiral Yi Sun-sin are stories of Joseon, but they are assets we have reconstructed and given meaning to in modern history," emphasizing that alternate history can be a testing ground for new cultural creations.

'21st Century Grand Princess' has aired up to episode 6, achieving a peak viewership rating of 11.2% nationwide, according to Nielsen Korea.

Lee So-jung, TenAsia Reporter forusojung@tenasia.co.kr