No Chinese props, please: period K-drama Joseon Exorcist loses sponsors, goes on one-week break amid claims of historical distortion

A scene where characters are served food that includes items of Chinese cuisine, including mooncakes, century eggs and dumplings, fired up critics online

A dispute between Chinese and Korean internet users regarding the origins of Korean cultural cornerstones has raged in the past few months

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Kam Woo-sung (centre) as King Taejong in a still from Joseon Exorcist, which has been forced to take a break to rework certain elements before it can air again. The drama has lost sponsers thanks to claims of historical distortion. Photo: Viu

Published: 5:15pm, 25 Mar 2021Updated: 3:52pm, 26 Mar 2021

In fast-paced K-dramas, anything can happen – and the same is sometimes true for the productions themselves, beyond the stories they present on screen.

For the second time this month, following allegations of bullying at school that prompted a major midseason casting change on River Where the Moon Rises, another drama series is mired in controversy and has been forced to take drastic measures in the face of a swelling chorus of outrage.

The period horror-drama Joseon Exorcist debuted on Korean channel SBS on March 22, and within hours it was receiving flak online for distorting history and featuring Chinese props and design elements in a historical Korean setting.

To its critics this was all the more galling given that a contentious dispute between Chinese and Korean internet users regarding the origins of Korean cultural cornerstones has raged over the past few months.

Jang Dong-yoon (centre) as Prince Chungnyeong in a still from Joseon Exorcist. Photo: Viu

Within two days of it airing, the show had lost most of its major sponsors, including LG Lifestyle and Health, KT Telecom and Samsung, and it was announced that reruns would be pulled and modified to address the concerns. The show has now disappeared from screens for a week to rework certain elements.

Joseon Exorcist takes place during the reign of King Taejong (played by Kam Woo-sung), the third Regent of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). Though featuring real characters, Joseon Exorcist is a fictionalised supernatural story about the king and his two sons Prince Chungnyung (Jang Dong-yoon) and Prince Yangnyeong (Park Sung-hoon), who must fight off evil spirits to protect their kingdom.

No Chinese props, please: period K-drama Joseon Exorcist loses sponsors, goes on one-week break amid claims of historical distortion

A scene where characters are served food that includes items of Chinese cuisine, including mooncakes, century eggs and dumplings, fired up critics online A dispute between Chinese and Korean internet users regarding the origins of Korean cultural cornerstones has raged in the past few months

A scene where characters are served food that includes items of Chinese cuisine, including mooncakes, century eggs and dumplings, fired up critics online

A dispute between Chinese and Korean internet users regarding the origins of Korean cultural cornerstones has raged in the past few months