Korean Citizens' Government Petition Against Historical Inaccuracies In "Mr. Sunshine" Gains Traction

Korean citizens have formed a government petition against historical inaccuracies in tvN’s “Mr. Sunshine.”

As of August 7 at 10:30 a.m. KST, the petition has gained over 27,000 signatures. Previously, requests for disclaimers on the historical inaccuracies in the drama were uploaded onto a citizens’ petition on the Cheongwadae (The Blue House) homepage.

The petitioners argued, “Japan was an aggressor nation during the Japanese occupation and during war. In the truth of history where there is a clear victim, it is dangerous to impose the kind of ‘He had no choice’ background story on a character in the position of an aggressor.”

The character in reference is Yoo Yeon Seok’s role Goo Dong Mae, the head of the Black Dragon Society in Hanseong, historically a pro-Japanese organization. By showing his character as one with charm, the drama was criticized for romanticizing the pro-Japanese. In response, the production staff modified the role to be a fictitious character.

On the historical inaccuracies of the drama, petitioners stated, “They are slowly clouding the awareness of the problem, and will eventually make light of the weight of history. Fiction aside, there are dramas that have accurately represented the Joseon people’s sentiment without inaccuracies.”

They continued, “We continue to see production showing how Joseon’s culture is ‘uncivilized.’ Other than the lead female character Go Ae Shin, the characters leading the drama as well as the supporting roles are Japanese. Their motivations are also portraying Joseon not as a victimized country, but rather one that ‘brought it on themselves.'”

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