The new Korean costume drama “Joseon Exorcist” has caused a lot of controversy due to its plot content and the appearance of Chinese Food such as mooncakes and skinny eggs in the drama, and viewers not only criticized the drama for distorting history, but also petitioned for the suspension of the drama.
The “Joseon Exorcist,” a fantasy drama set during the Joseon Dynasty’s Taejong period, sparked great controversy after it premiered on Monday (March 22) on South Korea’s SBS radio. Viewers criticized that the content of the drama in which King Taejong killed innocent people indiscriminately has no historical basis. In addition, viewers also criticized the appearance of Chinese dumplings, Chinese moon cakes and eggs as food and props in the drama.
The Korea Herald reported that many Korean viewers believe that the inappropriate use of Chinese costumes and props is a serious problem amid the growing controversy between China and South Korea over issues such as kimchi and Korean costumes.
South Korean viewers have also been demanding that the show be taken off the air, with more than 160,000 people petitioning Cheong Wa Dae as of Thursday to ask SBS to stop airing “The North Korean Exorcist.
As the incident has festered, several companies, including Samsung, have pulled their ads. The show’s producers have also come out to explain and apologize.
The Korea Herald said the drama’s three production companies said in a statement, “First of all, we apologize for using Chinese artworks and props (such as mooncakes) during this sensitive period that caused misunderstanding and upset viewers.”
The statement added, “This was our mistake because we were not aware of these issues beforehand.”
The statement, released Wednesday, also reportedly said that the production team was not responsible enough in portraying real historical figures and was not careful enough in using their imagination.
SBS also came out with an apology and said it will make changes to the part that has been aired and that the drama will also be off air for a week next week to reorganize its content, adding that SBS will examine the content of the drama more thoroughly.
In addition to “The North Korean Exorcist” which caused controversy due to Chinese mooncakes and other factors, several other Korean dramas have recently caused controversy due to Chinese advertisement placement. The hit Korean drama “Mansonzo” has caused discontent among viewers for the appearance of a “self-help pot” from China, and “Goddess Advent” has been criticized by Korean netizens for the placement of Chinese brand ads.
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