Have you recently watched the historical drama 'Cheonchutaehu' which is being aired on weekends? You can find some historical errors in this 'Cheonchutaehu' which is a popular drama. The Empress Dowager Cheonchu (Cheonchutaehu) is a heroine, and she is portrayed as a personality of historical importance on the drama. The drama has a positive point of view about her. However, according to historical records she was not a respectable person. A review of the history reveals that she was a bad person and was subjected to severe criticism.

We have been exposed to so much information about history through TV dramas lately that we don't learn about history in school. This includes shows about the Empress Dowager Cheonchu, the Great King Sejong, and Yi Sunshin etc.……. However these historical dramas which many people are watching have many errors and the errors are serious. Of course, historical truth can be dramatized for the sake of making the programs a little more interesting, but the degree of dramatization in these dramas is too severe. They glorify on television personalities who have been historically impugned and only focus on the good side of these figures.

Let's take a closer look at these historical distortions.

▶ The Great King Sejong : This one was better than other historical dramas that contain serious distortions, but it raises controversy, too. The kidnapping of prince Chungnyeong was pinpointed as especially controversial. The existence of the Goryeo Imperial Household reconstruction power is a possible enough story, but to contend that they also invaded the royal palace to make an attempt on the King's life is baseless. Also, the idea that Jang Yeongsil joined an antigovernment establishment is dumbfounding. The creation that princes, Yangnyeong and Chungnyeong, were pitted against each other excessively has also been pointed out as being wrong.

▶ The King and I : Historical distortion is certainly apparent in the popular historical drama 'The King and I'. That the young king carried out political reforms against a man of power who was given poison on the drama is surely a quantum leap. The historical evidence about the poisoning rumor of the king is much too short. And clearly, the story of the eunuch Kim Cheoseon is different from historical facts. Kim Cheoseon was a eunuch that served six kings of Joseon from the fifth King Munjong to the tenth King Yeonsangun. He had become a eunuch in the palace, which wasn’t shown on the drama. The idea that he is a friend of King Seongjong in the same age is too ridiculous.

▶ Yeong Gaesomun : This is an historical drama that has received the most adverse criticism for historical distortions not only here in Korea but also in China. Emperor Yang of Sui was in power in the early seventh century but the sentences displayed on a folding screen on the drama is a poem which was written by Mao Zedong who lived in the twentieth century. There is also the critique that the Emperor Yang of Sui's dress is very similar to that of the Ching dynasty.

Also Dae Joyeong in history set up a country 33 years after Yeon Gaesomun's death. Dae Joyeong on the drama didn't do so and his existence shakes the truth of history violently. These are distortions of history that didn't go on even in China,; we bring it back so they are criticized from inside and outside Korea. (Rewrite the sentences please.)

▶ Yi San : To view the period of King Yeongjo and Jeongjo who led the restoration of Joseon, watch 'Yi San.' This drama isn't fusion or fantasy. In spite of a lot of historical material from the period, there are many hypothetical elements. With this, the drama has a great sense of distance with the historical truth. A person, Hong Inhan, was an active and key figure at Noron in the historical records, but he was portrayed as spineless and obsequious on the drama.

▶ Dae Joyeong : It was an extremely popular drama for a time. But this 'Dae Joyeong' got wrapped up in the denunciation of distorting history. Seol Ingwi, one of the Tang Dynasty's famous generals, is fiercely opposed to Dae Joyeong who is a hero on this drama. This Seol Ingwi received orders from Wu Zetian, so he tried to conquer Dae Joyeong. But these people weren’t the same age. It's a distortion of history that they appeared together.

And there is a criticism about Dae Muye, the second King of Balhae. To show that he is a half-Goguryeo and half-Kitan child is to deny the Goguryeo's succession theory of Balhae. Moreover, other historical criticisms are raised about various parts.

▶ Yi Sunshin of Immortality : The Japanese worship him better than us, but the drama can't be exported to Japan because of the historical distortions of the drama. The sinking of the "Turtle Ship" at the first leaving port was pointed out as an especially egregious error. The features of Toyotomi Hideyoshi are criticized, too. His appearance was described as thin with sharp eyes, but he appeared plump and round faced on the drama.

Historical dramas which are televised on land-based broadcasting contribute a vast effect on the people's historical consciousness directly different from general novels. So if some serious historical distortions happen on dramas, there is no option but to bring about confusion. I want to allow some dramatization to make the shows interesting, but don't break the fundamental frame of the facts of history. I think if the historical dramas are more realistic, they will deserve greater love.