tvN’s new weekend drama 'Bon Appétit, Your Majesty' has come under fire for a glaring hanja (Chinese character) typo that aired during its premiere episode, leading to criticism from viewers for lacking historical and linguistic accuracy.
In the first episode, which aired on June 23, the scene features a bickering encounter between the two leads, Yeon Ji-young (played by YoonA) and Yi Heon (played by Lee Chae Min). However, behind the characters, a large banner displaying the phrase “Taepyeongseongdae” (태평성대) — a term meaning “an era of great peace and prosperity” — contains a mistake in the hanja characters. The correct form is 太平聖代, but the banner used the character 大 (“big”) instead of 代 (“era”), turning it into 太平聖大.
The error was prominently displayed on screen for several seconds, drawing immediate backlash. Viewers were quick to point out the irony of such a mistake in a period drama that is not only broadcast on tvN but also available globally via Netflix. Online commenters reacted with sarcasm and disbelief, posting remarks such as:
- “Thought it was a joke for laughs.”
- “Did Director Jang Tae Yoo create a new university called ‘Taepyeongseong University’?”
- “Can’t believe we live in a time when drama producers don’t know basic hanja.”
- “Apparently the era is so big (‘대’) now.”
On June 25, the production team issued an official apology:
“We acknowledge that there was a hanja error in the phrase ‘Taepyeongseongdae’ during Episode 1 of ‘Bon Appétit, Your Majesty.’ We have become aware of the issue and are currently in the process of correcting it.”
“The corrected version will be reflected in re-runs and VOD services. We sincerely apologize for the oversight and promise to strengthen our review and verification processes to prevent such errors in the future.”
Despite being a fusion sageuk (historical fantasy) drama, the show’s failure to properly proofread a basic period-related element has struck a nerve with fans who expect cultural and linguistic authenticity—especially for a drama with international distribution.
'Bon Appétit, Your Majesty' airs every Saturday and Sunday at 9:10 PM KST and is scheduled for 12 episodes.
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