‘King’s Warden’ humanizes exiled Joseon king
Director Jang Hang-jun is returning to the big screen with "The King’s Warden," a historical film that reimagines one of the most somber chapters of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). While most Koreans are well aware of the tragic fate of King Danjong (1441-57), who was forced into exile after a three-year reign and eventually assassinated, this film focuses on the undocumented blank spaces of his life in the mountains. The movie is set in 1457 in a remote village where the deposed king (Park Ji-hoon) is sent to live in isolation. There, he meets Eom Heung-do (Yoo Hae-jin), a village leader who initially welcomes the royal exile to help boost his town’s reputation. "The King’s Warden" focuses on the growing friendship between the fallen king and the villagers who protect him. The director explained that he consulted historians to ensure accuracy while using his imagination to fill the gaps in the records, focusing on how the young king may have opened his heart to the people and how they, in turn, might have protected him. "I asked professors how much of the record remains and which t
