Unveiled on August 29th, “Queen Woo“ is an action-packed historical drama that follows the struggle of Queen Woo, who, after the sudden death of the king, must find and enthrone a new king within 24 hours while being targeted by princes vying for the throne and the five tribes seeking to seize power.
The drama, consisting of eight episodes, is being released in two parts. Currently, up to episode 4 of Part 1 has been released. The release date for Part 2 (episodes 5-8) is scheduled for September 12th at noon.
Starring prominent actors such as Jeon Jong-seo, Kim Moo-yeol, Jung Yu-mi, Lee Soo-hyuk, and Ji Chang-wook, “Queen Woo” became embroiled in controversy shortly after its release, largely due to its explicit nudity and sex scenes.
Despite being rated R, the drama has been criticized for its frequent and graphic scenes of nudity and sex, which some viewers felt detracted from their immersion in the story.
In particular, actress Jung Yu-mi has garnered attention for her bold portrayal in episode 4, which included topless scenes and semi-nude sex scenes. A scene in which Ji Chang-wook’s character engages in sexual activities with maids lasted 203 seconds, while a scene involving Jung Yu-mi’s character in a sexual encounter with another woman lasted 114 seconds. The drama also featured multiple bed scenes across episodes 1 to 4, marking it as one of the most sexually explicit historical dramas.
During the drama’s press conference, Jung Yu-mi addressed the provocative scenes, admitting, “I felt burdened by the nudity, but I believed the scenes were crucial to maintaining the story’s tension. I worked hard to shoot them.”
As Jung Yu-mi’s nude scenes sparked discussion, attention also turned to whether a body double was used. Online communities buzzed with interest when the ending credits of “Queen Woo” listed the name of the body double for Woo Soon, Jung Yu-mi’s character.
Netizens responded with mixed reactions, saying, “I think the scenes were done with a body double; there’s no need to go fully nude,” and “At least she’s honest. Many actors try to be vague about whether they used a double or not.”
