'Joseon Exorcist' Faces Alarming Concerns amid Criticisms over Historical Inaccuracy

Following the recent debut of "Joseon Exorcist," the much-awaited SBS drama was welcomed by a series of controversies.

During its premiere on March 22, the period drama series drew flak as some viewers accused them of distorting South Korean culture.

In a recent report, Sungshin Women University's professor Seo Kyung Duk, pointed out the confusion that the show has created, particularly in China's ongoing historical imperialism.

In a letter, the well-known professor blasted "Joseon Exorcist" and accused them of "fueling" historical inaccuracy raised by China.

"As you all know, Korean drama series have many viewers all over the globe. We have limited time to apprise the world of our culture, let alone the distorted Korean history," the professor said.

In the end, professor Seo Kyung Duk stressed that Koreans should "protect" and preserve their "own culture and history."

READ MORE: 'Joseon Exorcist' Drops 19+ Rating for Episodes 1 and 2

Brands Drop Sponsorship amid "Joseon Exorcist" Controversy 

Unfortunately, the allegations have greatly affected the show and faced alarming news amid distortion of historical culture.

In a new report, brands and companies have been pulling off their support for the SBS drama.

This comes after the viewers called out brands to boycott their sponsorship for "Joseon Exorcist."

LG Household & Health Care, a major South Korean consumer goods company, announced that they would terminate their sponsorship.

The same goes with the wellness technology brand, Cozyma, who mentioned that they also pull out its promotions soon.

"Joseon Exorcist" Episode 2 Receives Low Ratings Following Allegations about Cultural Distortion

Aside from halted sponsorships, the controversial drama faced low ratings in its succeeding episode.

"Joseon Exorcist" Episode 2 reportedly dropped its ratings with a recorded average of nationwide ratings of 4.5 and 6.9 percent, according to Nielsen Korea.

This is a slight letdown from its debut that earned an average rating of 5.7 and 8.9 percent, which is said to be a good start for "Joseon Exorcist."

To recall, the first episode showed a dining scene where Prince Chungnyung, portrayed by Jang Dong Yoon, visited a place in Joseon alongside the exorcist priest, Yohan, portrayed by Darcy Paquet.

Unfortunately, eagle-eyed fans spotted that the props being used belonged in the Chinese culture - this includes Chinese-style dumplings and mooncakes, Chinese pidan or their century eggs, and liquor bottles with Chinese characters.

With this, the show caused dismay as some viewers pointed out that the series highlighted the cultural feud between the two countries.

SBS Address Controversy Surrounding "Joseon Exorcist"

On the other hand, SBS released a statement and shared the remark given by the production team.

In the press release, the team explained that the location of the series was in Uiju County and is said to be on Ming Dynasty's border.

"It was a location in which the western exorcist's party could rest after traveling through the Ming Dynasty and just entering Joseon, and since it is a region that's close to the border with the Ming Dynasty, we prepared the props while using our imagination that there would be frequent traffic of Chinese people," the statement reads.

They concluded their statement by apologizing for causing "discomfort" among their audience and vowed to "pay close attention" to their future broadcasts.

ALSO CHECK: 'Joseon Exorcist' Receives High Ratings Despite Controversy Surrounding Episode 1

KDramastars owns this article.

Written by Geca Wills