| SBS drama "Joseon Exorcist" / Courtesy of Studio Plex, Crave Works, Lotte Cultureworks |
By Dong Sun-hwa
SBS' historical-supernatural TV series "Joseon Exorcist," set in the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom, sparked controversy for "distorting history" after using Chinese foods unnecessarily for important parts of the story and describing Taejong (1367-1422), the third king of the Joseon, as a decimator of his people.
In the drama's first episode aired Monday, Prince Chungnyung ― played by Jang Dong-yoon ― visits a "gisaengjip" in Joseon, a house with female entertainers, with an exorcist priest named Yohan played by Darcy Paquet. But the foods served on their table were Chinese-style dumplings, baked goods and an egg-based culinary dish.
This drew the ire of many viewers in Korea who could not understand why a drama set in early Joseon showcases Chinese cuisine, especially at a time when a cultural feud between the two countries is intensifying over the origins of kimchi and hanbok among others. Critics also point out a completely fictional scene that features King Taejong killing people after having a hallucination can misinform the public about the real historical figure.
In the wake of the dispute, the production team issued an apology on Tuesday, saying, "In our series, the gisaengjip is located near the border of Ming China, so we thought a lot of Chinese people would visit the region. That's why we prepared the (Chinese) props ― we did not have any other intention. We will be more careful in producing our work in the future." But the team did not comment on the issue over King Taejong.
The apology has apparently failed to placate critics. A petition to ban the drama immediately "over lies" has so far collected nearly 20,000 signatures on the Cheong Wa Dae website.
"Joseon exorcist not only promotes China's Northeast Project, but also twists our history by using real historical figures as its characters," wrote the petitioner.
The Northeast Project was launched in 2002 by the Chinese Academy of Social Science (CASS) to "restore historical facts" surrounding China's Northeast region, but many Koreans believe Beijing's ultimate goal is to distort history in its favor to make territorial claims.
The controversy put the drama's writer Park Kye-ok, who was also behind tvN's "Mr. Queen," under fire. "Mr. Queen" had been criticized for a line that described Korea's national treasure ― the Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty ― as a "tabloid."
"Joseon Exorcist" revolves around Taejong ― played by Kam Woo-sung ― and his two sons, Prince Chungnyung and Prince Yangnyeong, who fight evil spirits to save the kingdom. In history, Prince Chungnyung later becomes Sejong the Great (1397-1450) and creates the Korean alphabet Hangeul.
The first episode of "Joseon Exorcist" scored an 8.9 percent viewership rating nationwide, according to Nielsen Korea.