{
"$type": "site.standard.document",
"content": {
"$type": "app.offprint.content",
"items": [
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"facets": [
{
"features": [
{
"$type": "app.offprint.richtext.facet#link",
"uri": "https://dalisay.offprint.app/a/3mjf2xfsf3g23-re-historical-inaccuracies-in-perfect-crown"
}
],
"index": {
"byteEnd": 32,
"byteStart": 26
}
}
],
"plaintext": "As we have established in Part 1, this alternate reality Korea in 《Perfect Crown》 was never annexed by Japan and did not experience the Korean War which split it into two—North Korea and South Korea. In this post, we will go deeper and address additional arguments and common misunderstandings."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": ""
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.callout",
"emoji": "‼️",
"facets": [
{
"features": [
{
"$type": "app.offprint.richtext.facet#bold"
}
],
"index": {
"byteEnd": 14,
"byteStart": 0
}
}
],
"plaintext": "Spoiler Alert!"
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": ""
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.heading",
"level": 2,
"plaintext": "The Perfect History"
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "To ensure we are all on the same page, let us establish the facts of this alternate reality."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.heading",
"level": 3,
"plaintext": "Divergence Point"
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "The history of 《Perfect Crown》 diverged during the reign of King Jeongjo. In real world history, King Jeongjo died early and his plans with him. Historians agree that this was when real world Joseon started to decline. What followed was what historians called the era of child kings and the era of the vcorrupt Andong Kim clan—the most ruthless at the time."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "However, in this alternate reality, King Jeongjo lived his life and ruled longer. He destroyed the corrupt clans. Implemented sweeping changes that made Joseon's military stronger and he created a stable economy. King Jeongjo laid down countless of reforms that ensured Joseon can become a Sovereign nation at the right time."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "Later, his eldest son succeeded him—Crown Prince Munhyo (rn: Yisun)—who in the real world died when he was only four years old."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.heading",
"level": 3,
"plaintext": "The Fall of the Qing Empire"
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "Joseon was still a tributary state to the Qing Empire when Crown Prince Munhyo succeeded his father as King Hwijong. But in just a few years since his reign, the Qing Empire started to weaken internally and soon collapsed. King Hwijong took advantage of the geopolitical landscape and declared Joseon as a Sovereign State. This never happened in real world Joseon which was under the rule of the corrupt Andong Kim clan, which made the kingdom weaker."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "From this point, Joseon was recognized as a stable, strong, and Sovereign State, with an equal footing in the global stage. It was no longer a tributary state. It was truly independent."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.heading",
"level": 3,
"plaintext": "No Korean Empire"
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "There was no Korean Empire in 《Perfect Crown》 history because there was no need to transform Joseon. The main reason real world King Gojong transformed the Joseon kingdom into the Korean Empire was to assert and declare that the nation is a Sovereign State and must be treated as an equal."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "However, King Hwijong already declared the Joseon kingdom as a Sovereign State when the Qing Empire collapsed. Thus, there was no reason for any Joseon king to even think to change Joseon into an empire."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.heading",
"level": 3,
"plaintext": "Joseon was never annexed"
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "A stable, strong, Sovereign Joseon kingdom since King Hwijong was not something anyone can simply annexed. In other words, no foreign power dared to start any political and economic maneuvers to gain control of the Korean peninsula."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "Yes, in this alternate reality, Korea was never annexed by Japan or any foreign power."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.heading",
"level": 3,
"plaintext": "There was no Imperial Japan World War II"
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "Because Japan never annexed the Korean peninsula, major real world historical events either did not happen or drastically changed, one such was Imperial Japan's plan to unite Pacific-Asia (today's CJKM and ASEAN)."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "The Korean peninsula was a crucial part in Imperial Japan's plans. It is the closest land bridging Japan to mainland Asia. Without it, the infamous Manchurian Incident did not happen, which historians agree was the true trigger of WW2 in Asia. It also opened Imperial Japan to attacks from their flank, and no doubt Korea would have taken action if Imperial Japan in this alternate reality proceded with their plan."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "This makes the next key real world history very different for Korea."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.heading",
"level": 3,
"plaintext": "Korea remained undivided"
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "Korea remained a one State nation. It never split into North Korea and South Korea. There was no Korean War. The U.S.S.R. and the U.S.A. did not split a nation they do not own. There were never communist Koreans because they remained strong and prosperous, the Koreans are living the best life in the region."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "No martial law. No DMZ. No families broken apart by political borders. It is [a] Perfect Korea."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "This is the backdrop of the Constitutional Monarchy in《Perfect Crown》. It inherited this stable, strong, Sovereign Joseon kingdom, and undivided nation. The Perfect History indeed."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": ""
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.callout",
"emoji": "🫵🏽",
"facets": [
{
"features": [
{
"$type": "app.offprint.richtext.facet#bold"
}
],
"index": {
"byteEnd": 5,
"byteStart": 0
}
}
],
"plaintext": "NOTE: I condemn the attacking, bullying, cancelling, and shaming of celebrities and crew members over production mistakes. Pointing out errors is fine but cruelty is evil. We can talk about those errors without destroying human lives and careers."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": ""
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.heading",
"level": 2,
"plaintext": "The 「Historical Inaccuracies」 "
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "It is time to address the complaints, let us begin with the elephant in the room: episode 11."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.heading",
"level": 3,
"plaintext": "Not a Perfect Crown?"
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "Some context about the backlash. During the time of Imperial Chinese dynasties, tributary and vassal states can keep their kings but they had to wear what in Korea is called 「guryu myeollyugwan」 or a 9-strand/bead crown. This symbolizes that they are lower in rank than the Emperor of China who wears a 12-strand/bead crown called 「sibi myeollyugwan」."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "In addition, the chant they used during Yian's coronation was 「천세」 (RR: cheonse; lit: 1,000 years) and not 「만세」 (RR: manse; lit: 10,000 years). The former was lower in the hierarchy of kings and the latter was for the king of kings. (It did not make sense to non-Korean speakers because it appeared to be just an expression similar to 「long-lived the king」.)"
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "This would imply that the Constitutional Monarchy and Korea in 《Perfect Crown》 was still a tributary state of China, and in the present time as ours, that was the People's Republic of China—an authoritarian communist state."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "While the raised points are valid, I disagree that it is 「historical inaccuracy」, the proper terms are 「internal inconsistency」 and 「internal implausibility」. Unfortunately, episode 11 broke both."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "We have established earlier that in this alternate reality/history, Joseon declared Sovereignty when the Qing Empire collapsed in the mid-19th Century, and this Sovereign Joseon kingdom was never broken. Thus, there was no reason for these fictional Koreans to have mistaken to use the 「guryu myeollyugwan」 and chant 「cheonse」."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "It did not break 「historical accuracy」 what it broke were 「internal consistency」 and 「internal plausibility」."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.heading",
"level": 3,
"plaintext": "Not Perfect Titles?"
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "There was an argument that they should have used Imperial titles. I disagree. As we have established, the Joseon kingdom never had reasons to transform into an empire. In other words, Korean imperial titles never existed in this perfect world."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "It is internally both consistent and plausible to use kingdom titles and not imperial. The Constitutional Monarchy traces its root in a stable, strong, Sovereign, and undivided Joseon kingdom, not from real world Korean Empire."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.heading",
"level": 3,
"plaintext": "Not a Perfect Regent?"
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"facets": [
{
"features": [
{
"$type": "app.offprint.richtext.facet#link",
"uri": "https://dalisay.offprint.app/a/3mjf2xfsf3g23-re-historical-inaccuracies-in-perfect-crown"
}
],
"index": {
"byteEnd": 35,
"byteStart": 29
}
}
],
"plaintext": "We already addressed this in Part 1 but let us tackle it here again. This argument goes that in real world Joseon, regency is granted to either the Queen Dowager or the Queen Mother. They are implying that there is no room for anything but that."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "This is an incorrect logic. Regency given to the Queen was never a core part of the Joseon kingdom. The first Queen regency only happened after 77 years of Joseon's existence. In addition, there were four instances where the regent was male (usually the biological father of an adopted crown prince), they were called 「Daewongun」 (Grand Internal Prince or male regent)."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "Indeed, choosing the Queen Dowager or Queen Mother as regent of a young king was also rooted in Confucianism besides politics, but as real world history showed, beliefs and rules can be bent."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "Based on this, there is no reason why Grand Prince Yian should not have been named regent. If one truly watched 《Perfect Crown》, Prime Minister Min Jeongwoo revealed that he knew who is the true successor but instead he placed Yian as regent to keep him from gaining power to pursue Huiju."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "Just like the four other male regents, they simply found a legal way to install yet another male regent. And in an era where the Monarchy no longer holds political power, and Min was not a Confucian, this is easy to do. Unfortunately for Prime Minister Min, Yian was a—and the—Perfect Regent."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "Again, it is not historically inaccurate. On the contrary, it is internally both consistent and plausible."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.heading",
"level": 2,
"plaintext": "Conclusion"
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "It is important to know what 「historical inaccuracy」 is about because in fiction, we can not just demand 「historical accuracy」 whenever we want to, that is why it is called fiction in the first place. Even more so if the work was marketed as and/or obviously an alternate reality story because this genre literally means there was a divergence point which created a different timeline or parallel world."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "What governs alternate reality stories are 「internal consistency」 and 「internal plausibility」. Like in the case of 《Perfect Crown》, the present time of the story must be consistent and plausible based on its own established history and rules. Sadly, episode 11 failed to pass on both these criteria. But for everything else? It passed both consistency and plausibility within its own reality."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": "Again, it is wrong to demand 「historical accuracy」 in an alternate reality story. Instead look at it from the lens of 「internal consistency」 and 「internal plausibility」."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": ""
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": ""
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.horizontalRule"
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": ""
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": ""
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"facets": [
{
"features": [
{
"$type": "app.offprint.richtext.facet#link",
"uri": "https://tip.youronly.one/?atproto"
}
],
"index": {
"byteEnd": 88,
"byteStart": 75
}
}
],
"plaintext": "If this work has informed, been useful, or saved you time, please consider sending a tip. 🙇🏽 Your support keeps this sustainable. 🖖🏽"
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"facets": [
{
"features": [
{
"$type": "app.offprint.richtext.facet#link",
"uri": "https://iam.youronly.one"
}
],
"index": {
"byteEnd": 102,
"byteStart": 78
}
},
{
"features": [
{
"$type": "app.offprint.richtext.facet#link",
"uri": "https://yelosan.youronly.one"
}
],
"index": {
"byteEnd": 124,
"byteStart": 106
}
},
{
"features": [
{
"$type": "app.offprint.richtext.facet#link",
"uri": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/"
}
],
"index": {
"byteEnd": 155,
"byteStart": 143
}
},
{
"features": [
{
"$type": "app.offprint.richtext.facet#link",
"uri": "https://im.youronly.one/p/legal-notice/"
}
],
"index": {
"byteEnd": 175,
"byteStart": 170
}
}
],
"plaintext": "〈「Historical Inaccuracies」 in 《Perfect Crown》, Part 2〉 © 2026 by Yohan Yukiya Sese Cuneta · Yelosan Publishing is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, except where noted."
},
{
"$type": "app.offprint.block.text",
"plaintext": ""
}
]
},
"coverImage": {
"$type": "blob",
"ref": {
"$link": "bafkreidprbpdg3rxldtxkmid2upurhxo34awvvw6uy6grmf3odowymf4wq"
},
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"size": 84206
},
"description": "It is wrong to demand \"historical accuracy\" in alternate reality fiction, instead look at it from the lens of \"internal consistency\" and \"plausibility\".",
"path": "/a/3mmoln5rmbv23-historical-inaccuracies-in-perfect-crown-part-2",
"publishedAt": "2026-05-25T22:13:00+00:00",
"site": "at://did:plc:bpotnohnlgcj3fbmp7ugx4en/site.standard.publication/3mdjmi3ay5t2w",
"textContent": "As we have established in Part 1, this alternate reality Korea in 《Perfect Crown》 was never annexed by Japan and did not experience the Korean War which split it into two—North Korea and South Korea. In this post, we will go deeper and address additional arguments and common misunderstandings.\n\n‼️ Spoiler Alert!\n\nThe Perfect History\nTo ensure we are all on the same page, let us establish the facts of this alternate reality.\nDivergence Point\nThe history of 《Perfect Crown》 diverged during the reign of King Jeongjo. In real world history, King Jeongjo died early and his plans with him. Historians agree that this was when real world Joseon started to decline. What followed was what historians called the era of child kings and the era of the vcorrupt Andong Kim clan—the most ruthless at the time.\nHowever, in this alternate reality, King Jeongjo lived his life and ruled longer. He destroyed the corrupt clans. Implemented sweeping changes that made Joseon's military stronger and he created a stable economy. King Jeongjo laid down countless of reforms that ensured Joseon can become a Sovereign nation at the right time.\nLater, his eldest son succeeded him—Crown Prince Munhyo (rn: Yisun)—who in the real world died when he was only four years old.\nThe Fall of the Qing Empire\nJoseon was still a tributary state to the Qing Empire when Crown Prince Munhyo succeeded his father as King Hwijong. But in just a few years since his reign, the Qing Empire started to weaken internally and soon collapsed. King Hwijong took advantage of the geopolitical landscape and declared Joseon as a Sovereign State. This never happened in real world Joseon which was under the rule of the corrupt Andong Kim clan, which made the kingdom weaker.\nFrom this point, Joseon was recognized as a stable, strong, and Sovereign State, with an equal footing in the global stage. It was no longer a tributary state. It was truly independent.\nNo Korean Empire\nThere was no Korean Empire in 《Perfect Crown》 history because there was no need to transform Joseon. The main reason real world King Gojong transformed the Joseon kingdom into the Korean Empire was to assert and declare that the nation is a Sovereign State and must be treated as an equal.\nHowever, King Hwijong already declared the Joseon kingdom as a Sovereign State when the Qing Empire collapsed. Thus, there was no reason for any Joseon king to even think to change Joseon into an empire.\nJoseon was never annexed\nA stable, strong, Sovereign Joseon kingdom since King Hwijong was not something anyone can simply annexed. In other words, no foreign power dared to start any political and economic maneuvers to gain control of the Korean peninsula.\nYes, in this alternate reality, Korea was never annexed by Japan or any foreign power.\nThere was no Imperial Japan World War II\nBecause Japan never annexed the Korean peninsula, major real world historical events either did not happen or drastically changed, one such was Imperial Japan's plan to unite Pacific-Asia (today's CJKM and ASEAN).\nThe Korean peninsula was a crucial part in Imperial Japan's plans. It is the closest land bridging Japan to mainland Asia. Without it, the infamous Manchurian Incident did not happen, which historians agree was the true trigger of WW2 in Asia. It also opened Imperial Japan to attacks from their flank, and no doubt Korea would have taken action if Imperial Japan in this alternate reality proceded with their plan.\nThis makes the next key real world history very different for Korea.\nKorea remained undivided\nKorea remained a one State nation. It never split into North Korea and South Korea. There was no Korean War. The U.S.S.R. and the U.S.A. did not split a nation they do not own. There were never communist Koreans because they remained strong and prosperous, the Koreans are living the best life in the region.\nNo martial law. No DMZ. No families broken apart by political borders. It is [a] Perfect Korea.\nThis is the backdrop of the Constitutional Monarchy in《Perfect Crown》. It inherited this stable, strong, Sovereign Joseon kingdom, and undivided nation. The Perfect History indeed.\n\n🫵🏽 NOTE: I condemn the attacking, bullying, cancelling, and shaming of celebrities and crew members over production mistakes. Pointing out errors is fine but cruelty is evil. We can talk about those errors without destroying human lives and careers.\n\nThe 「Historical Inaccuracies」 \nIt is time to address the complaints, let us begin with the elephant in the room: episode 11.\nNot a Perfect Crown?\nSome context about the backlash. During the time of Imperial Chinese dynasties, tributary and vassal states can keep their kings but they had to wear what in Korea is called 「guryu myeollyugwan」 or a 9-strand/bead crown. This symbolizes that they are lower in rank than the Emperor of China who wears a 12-strand/bead crown called 「sibi myeollyugwan」.\nIn addition, the chant they used during Yian's coronation was 「천세」 (RR: cheonse; lit: 1,000 years) and not 「만세」 (RR: manse; lit: 10,000 years). The former was lower in the hierarchy of kings and the latter was for the king of kings. (It did not make sense to non-Korean speakers because it appeared to be just an expression similar to 「long-lived the king」.)\nThis would imply that the Constitutional Monarchy and Korea in 《Perfect Crown》 was still a tributary state of China, and in the present time as ours, that was the People's Republic of China—an authoritarian communist state.\nWhile the raised points are valid, I disagree that it is 「historical inaccuracy」, the proper terms are 「internal inconsistency」 and 「internal implausibility」. Unfortunately, episode 11 broke both.\nWe have established earlier that in this alternate reality/history, Joseon declared Sovereignty when the Qing Empire collapsed in the mid-19th Century, and this Sovereign Joseon kingdom was never broken. Thus, there was no reason for these fictional Koreans to have mistaken to use the 「guryu myeollyugwan」 and chant 「cheonse」.\nIt did not break 「historical accuracy」 what it broke were 「internal consistency」 and 「internal plausibility」.\nNot Perfect Titles?\nThere was an argument that they should have used Imperial titles. I disagree. As we have established, the Joseon kingdom never had reasons to transform into an empire. In other words, Korean imperial titles never existed in this perfect world.\nIt is internally both consistent and plausible to use kingdom titles and not imperial. The Constitutional Monarchy traces its root in a stable, strong, Sovereign, and undivided Joseon kingdom, not from real world Korean Empire.\nNot a Perfect Regent?\nWe already addressed this in Part 1 but let us tackle it here again. This argument goes that in real world Joseon, regency is granted to either the Queen Dowager or the Queen Mother. They are implying that there is no room for anything but that.\nThis is an incorrect logic. Regency given to the Queen was never a core part of the Joseon kingdom. The first Queen regency only happened after 77 years of Joseon's existence. In addition, there were four instances where the regent was male (usually the biological father of an adopted crown prince), they were called 「Daewongun」 (Grand Internal Prince or male regent).\nIndeed, choosing the Queen Dowager or Queen Mother as regent of a young king was also rooted in Confucianism besides politics, but as real world history showed, beliefs and rules can be bent.\nBased on this, there is no reason why Grand Prince Yian should not have been named regent. If one truly watched 《Perfect Crown》, Prime Minister Min Jeongwoo revealed that he knew who is the true successor but instead he placed Yian as regent to keep him from gaining power to pursue Huiju.\nJust like the four other male regents, they simply found a legal way to install yet another male regent. And in an era where the Monarchy no longer holds political power, and Min was not a Confucian, this is easy to do. Unfortunately for Prime Minister Min, Yian was a—and the—Perfect Regent.\nAgain, it is not historically inaccurate. On the contrary, it is internally both consistent and plausible.\nConclusion\nIt is important to know what 「historical inaccuracy」 is about because in fiction, we can not just demand 「historical accuracy」 whenever we want to, that is why it is called fiction in the first place. Even more so if the work was marketed as and/or obviously an alternate reality story because this genre literally means there was a divergence point which created a different timeline or parallel world.\nWhat governs alternate reality stories are 「internal consistency」 and 「internal plausibility」. Like in the case of 《Perfect Crown》, the present time of the story must be consistent and plausible based on its own established history and rules. Sadly, episode 11 failed to pass on both these criteria. But for everything else? It passed both consistency and plausibility within its own reality.\nAgain, it is wrong to demand 「historical accuracy」 in an alternate reality story. Instead look at it from the lens of 「internal consistency」 and 「internal plausibility」.\n\n\n\n---\n\n\nIf this work has informed, been useful, or saved you time, please consider sending a tip. 🙇🏽 Your support keeps this sustainable. 🖖🏽\n〈「Historical Inaccuracies」 in 《Perfect Crown》, Part 2〉 © 2026 by Yohan Yukiya Sese Cuneta · Yelosan Publishing is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, except where noted.",
"title": "「Historical Inaccuracies」 in 《Perfect Crown》, Part 2"
}