Disney+ has launched “Perfect Crown,” a South Korean romantic comedy led by IU and Byeon Woo-seok, blending modern monarchy, corporate power and a contract marriage set in an alternate 21st-century Korea.
In a press conference in South Korea, Byeon reflected on his return to the screen in the new series saying, “I’m extremely grateful. There is so much pressure, but I just hope that you will show love and interest.”
Meanwhile, singer-actress IU, who plays chaebol heiress Seong Hui Ju, said she grew more comfortable as she settled into the role.
“At some point, I already am having fun being a chaebol heiress because I have these fancy clothes and accessories. She’s not the typical chaebol heiress. It was more fun because she is a loose cannonball in some aspects,” she said.
The 12-episode series premiered April 10 on Disney+ and has drawn early attention for its mix of romance, palace politics and stylized world-building. Set in a fictional modern Korea governed by a constitutional monarchy, the story follows Seong Hui Ju, a powerful conglomerate CEO, and Grand Prince Yi An, a lonely royal heir navigating internal power struggles and personal trauma.
The two are pushed into a contract marriage designed to serve competing interests within the royal family. What begins as a strategic alliance gradually becomes more complicated as public image, duty and personal emotion collide.
Directed by Park Joon-hwa and Bae Hee-young and written by Yoo Ji-won, the series builds an alternate world where royalty and corporate influence overlap.
Park said the production focused heavily on realism within the fictional setting.
“I focused on imagining the physical space — how the royal family would live in a time like this. What would they wear? Where would they live? What kind of food would they eat? I tried to bring in little details to make that convincing,” he said.
He added that costumes and environments were shaped by each character’s background and status.
Episodes of “Perfect Crown” are released every Friday and Saturday at 10:20 p.m. Philippine time, with the season set to run through May 16. IZA IGLESIAS