On January 16, Munhwa Ilbo reported that the drama “The Queen Who Crowns,” known for its explicit scenes, apparently lacked detailed descriptions of nudity in the original script.
According to the report, the actors only became aware of the high level of nudity during storyboard discussions before filming. The production team would increase the level of nudity by using computer graphics (CG) and stunt doubles.
Episodes 1 and 2 of “The Queen Who Crowns,” which airs simultaneously on cable channel tvN and OTT TVING platform, include bold nudity and intimate scenes with lead actors Cha Joo-young and Lee Yi-dam. The two platforms took different editing approaches: tvN edited some explicit scenes to meet its 15+ rating, while TVING broadcast them unchanged with its limited 19+ rating. This has led some viewers to label the series an “erotic drama”, with comments expressing discomfort with watching the show with family.
Munhwa Ilbo reported that although the script for “The Queen Who Crowns” depicted intimate scenes, it did not provide explicit details about nudity. Discussions during the storyboard process reportedly focused on increasing the level of nudity, with the production team emphasizing the need for it.
Furthermore, the media revealed that the exposed bodies seen in the scenes were not those of the main actors but the stunt doubles. Cha Joo-young and Lee Yi-dam filmed the scenes while dressed, and the production team combined the bodies of the stunt doubles with the faces of the main actors using CG.
The agencies representing the two actors requested careful editing of these scenes before broadcast. However, the production team reportedly refused, claiming that the scenes were essential.
In response to the above claims, director Kim Sang-ho of “The Queen Who Crowns” insisted that it was not he nor the production team who requested to increase the level of explicitness, but the channel which requested a level so high in nudity.
In doing so, he displayed a cautious attitude, saying: “I don’t think I can talk directly about this topic.”
In response, a K-drama representative told media SPOTV News that they are verifying the truth.
“The Queen Who Crowns” follows the story of Queen Wongyeong, who rose to power together with her husband, King Taejong Lee Bang-won. The series attracted attention with its intense final scenes, achieving its highest rating of 5.6% in just four episodes. Since its premiere on January 6, it has ranked first in its time slot across all channels, including terrestrial networks.
According to Nielsen Korea, the fourth episode, which aired on the 14th, recorded domestic ratings of 5.6% nationwide and 5.3% in the metropolitan area, maintaining first place among cable and general programming channels in its time slot. The series has also seen growing popularity among its key target demographic of viewers aged 20-49, with nationwide ratings averaging 1.9%, peaking at 2.3%, and ratings of the metropolitan area averaged 2.0%, with a peak of 2.7%.
“The Queen Who Crowns” airs every Monday and Tuesday at 8:50 pm (KST). Notably, two episodes are pre-released on TVING every Monday at 2 PM (KST), attracting considerable attention from fans.
