The King's Warden to cross 9 million viewership milestone in less than a month after release

On March 3, distributor Showbox unveiled a new poster highlighting the emotional solitude of King Danjong Lee Hong-wi, portrayed by Park Ji-hoon.

• The King's Warden nears 10 million viewers in just 27 days
• Film's success boosts tourism at its filming locations
• Yoo Hae-jin and Park Ji-hoon praised for moving performances

Did our AI summary help?

The historical K-drama film The King's Warden is rewriting the box office narrative, emerging as one of the year’s most talked-about releases. What began as a quiet period drama has now grown into a cultural moment, with audiences continuing to pour into theatres weeks after its debut.

On March 3, distributor Showbox unveiled a new poster highlighting the emotional solitude of King Danjong Lee Hong-wi, portrayed by Park Ji-hoon. The visual captures a haunting stillness — the young, deposed king sitting alone by the riverbank, lost in thought.

The film crossed the 9 million viewer mark just 27 days after release and is now on the brink of entering the coveted 10 million club — a milestone that only a handful of Korean films achieve.

The surge has largely been credited to powerful word-of-mouth and deeply moving performances, especially by Yoo Hae-jin and Park Ji-hoon. Interestingly, the film’s growing popularity has also sparked a noticeable rise in tourism at its filming locations.

Directed by Jang Hang-jun, the film explores the final chapter in the life of King Danjong of the Joseon dynasty. After being dethroned, the young monarch spends his last days in exile in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, forming poignant connections with local villagers — including the village chief who becomes a quiet pillar of support.

Yoo Hae-jin leads the narrative as Eom Heung-do, the compassionate village chief whose bond with the exiled king forms the emotional backbone of the story.

The newly released poster draws from one of the film’s most heart-wrenching scenes: the deposed king exiled to Cheongnyeongpo in Yeongwol, sitting by the riverbank and absentmindedly playing with water. This simple act carries layers of loneliness and stolen youth.

Reflecting on the moment, Yoo Hae-jin shared, “The image of Lee Hong-wi playing with water by the riverbank in exile remains vivid in my memory. At that moment, I wondered if Eom Heung-do’s feelings were like those of a parent watching their child. If not for the exile, he would have been free at that age, and it was heartbreaking to see him.”

Also read: BLACKPINK's Rosé becomes the first K-Pop artist to win the BRIT Award for APT song

Park Ji-hoon also offered insight into how the scene came together. “The scene of sitting crouched by the riverbank was suggested by senior actor Yoo Hae-jin,” he revealed.

Since its release, The King's Warden has steadily built momentum, fuelled by emotional storytelling and compelling performances. If it crosses the 10 million viewer milestone, it will mark the first such achievement for director Jang Hang-jun and the fifth 10-million-viewer success for veteran actor Yoo Hae-jin — a testament to both legacy and fresh cinematic resonance.