KBS2 Drama ‘The Queen’s House’ Sparks Controversy Over Public Preschool Depiction

The new KBS2 daily drama The Queen’s House has come under fire after its debut episode, aired on April 28, included a controversial line about public preschools. The line, which suggests that sending a wealthy family’s child to a public preschool led to an abduction incident, drew swift backlash from educators and viewers for allegedly demeaning public education.

The character in question remarks, “How could a wealthy family send their kid to a public preschool? If they had chosen the most expensive private one, this wouldn’t have happened.” The provocative dialogue prompted an immediate response from the National Union of Public Kindergarten Teachers, which condemned the line for “undermining the stability and value of public preschools and damaging social trust in public education.”

Responding to the criticism, the drama’s producers issued a formal apology, stating they had no intention to disparage public institutions. They committed to re-uploading an edited version of the episode with the offending line removed, expressing their intent to “be mindful of public perception and avoid distorting the image of public education systems.”

The controversy has sparked intense debate across social media platforms. While some viewers defended the scene as a fictional narrative — saying “It’s just drama,” “Not everything has to be taken literally,” or “Overreaction” — others echoed concerns that such representations reinforce damaging stereotypes and erode trust in public services.

As of now, the first episode of The Queen’s House has been pulled from all replay services. The revised edition with the edited dialogue is set to be re-released soon.