The film was boycotted by 50,000 South Koreans.

Sports Khan reports that the wave of protests against the drama Perfect Crown , starring IU and Byeon Woo Seok, continues to escalate in South Korea. A petition demanding the cessation of broadcasting and the removal of all content from online platforms has officially qualified for consideration by the National Assembly .

According to South Korean media, a public petition titled "Request to temporarily halt the broadcast of controversial films that distort history and remove their content from media platforms" has surpassed 50,000 signatures in just four days since its posting. This is a necessary condition for the petition to be forwarded to the relevant committees of the National Assembly according to the official procedure in South Korea.

IU and Byeon Woo Seok's drama is being boycotted. Photo: SBS.

The petitioners argue that IU's film, despite being set in a fictional South Korea, "recklessly borrows" foreign costumes, rituals, and language. They believe this not only constitutes historical distortion but is also a form of cultural appropriation.

The petitioners emphasized: "This is a serious act that harms public sentiment and distorts Korean cultural identity when the film is distributed globally." The petitioners demanded that the broadcaster immediately stop airing the film and completely remove it from all VOD and OTT platforms. Furthermore, they proposed establishing institutional mechanisms to permanently prevent future content deemed "culturally infringing."

This incident has drawn parallels to the case of Joseon Exorcist in 2021. The drama sparked intense controversy due to accusations of historical inaccuracies. At that time, a petition demanding its cancellation garnered approximately 70,000 signatures in just one day.

Following public pressure, a number of major brands simultaneously withdrew their advertisements from Joseon Exorcist . Ultimately, SBS decided to cancel the broadcast and terminate the broadcasting rights after only two episodes.

Returning to the Perfect Crown case, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) has launched an investigation into a complaint requesting oversight of the production cost support provided by the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) related to the drama.

Perfect Crown is the final project selected in the long-form drama category of the "Support for Specialized OTT Content Production (Intellectual Property Licensing Type) 2025" program by the Korea Creative Content Agency. The project is worth 7.5 billion won and includes 7 works.

Even before airing, Perfect Crown received high expectations thanks to the collaboration between IU and Byeon Woo Seok. IU had already achieved success through many projects, even earning the title of "nation's little sister." Byeon Woo Seok also gained attention after his breakthrough with *Carry Me and Run* .

However, since its release, the film has been continuously controversial regarding its content, the acting of its cast, and now, the issue of historical inaccuracies.