The historical drama “The King’s Warden” is making waves at the Korean box office. As of Monday, the film has attracted a total of 9,213,408 viewers since its release on February 4th, according to the Korean Film Council.
Fueled by strong word-of-mouth and the three-day holiday weekend commemorating the March 1 Independence Movement Day, “The King’s Warden” drew nearly 820,000 moviegoers on Sunday alone. This surge in viewership raises expectations that the film will soon reach the coveted 10 million admissions mark.
If it surpasses 10 million admissions, “The King’s Warden” will be the first film to achieve this milestone in two years, following the successes of Jang Jae-hyun’s supernatural thriller “Exhuma” and “The Roundup: Punishment,” the fourth installment in the popular action franchise starring Ma Dong-seok.
Directed by Jang Hang-jun, known for his previous works such as the action comedy “Break Out” (2002) and the sports drama “Rebound” (2023), “The King’s Warden” offers a reimagining of historical events. The film centers on the unlikely friendship between village chief Eom Heung-do (Yoo Hai-jin) and the young, deposed King Danjong (Park Ji-hoon) during the king’s exile in the village.
