'King's Warden' mirrors ancient and modern history to find success

A still from the film "The King s Warden" / Courtesy of Showbox

A historical comedy-drama about a 15th-century coup is defying Korean box office expectations, driven by an audience that has found profound parallels between the film's themes of absolute power and the short-lived declaration of martial law by former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Before "The King's Warden" was released on Feb. 4, director Jang Hang-jun expressed serious doubts about its blockbuster potential. "If I had directed it that well, I would have already done a '10 million' movie," Jang said in late January. "I am not a master director, right?"

He joked he would get plastic surgery, change his name and naturalize elsewhere if the film reached 10 million admissions. Now, with the milestone practically guaranteed, Jang declared he is overwhelmed. "It is a number I have never even imagined," he said. "I am spending day by day with a thankful heart."

The film saw about 194,000 viewers nationwide on Tuesday, bringing its cumulative audience to roughly 9,407,000, according to Korean Film Council data released Wednesday. Industry forecasts indicate the movie will cross the 10 million admissions mark — the benchmark for a domestic blockbuster — by Friday or Saturday.

It will become the 34th film overall and the 25th Korean film to reach this milestone in Korea. Distributor Showbox initially expected the film to hit the mark in mid-to-late March.

Jang Hang-jun, center, directs actors Park Ji-hoon, left, and Jeon Mi-do on the set of "The King's Warden." Courtesy of Showbox

Unprecedented box office momentum

The movie has been unaffected by the standard box office drop-off. Instead of losing momentum, weekend attendance grew from 760,000 in its first week to 1.75 million a few weeks later. On Sunday, when Korea commemerated the 107th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement, the film set a single-day record with approximately 810,000 ticket sales.

Film industry analyst Kim Hyung-ho said the acceleration in ticket sales is fueled by strong word-of-mouth and a surge of returning theatergoers. "It seems the number of viewers greatly increased as audiences, who had not been going to theaters much since 'Exhuma' and 'The Roundup: Punishment' two years ago, returned, " Kim said.

"The fact that it is a historical movie good for family audiences to watch also contributed to increasing its box office success," he added.

Data from multiplex chain CJ CGV shows an even demographic spread, demonstrating the film's cross-generational appeal. The film's success validates the 21st-century Korean blockbuster, combining a tearjerker with comedy.

It follows the thematic footsteps of hits like "The King and the Clown," "Masquerade" and the 2013 hit "The Face Reader," which drew 9.13 million viewers.

A moviegoer purchases tickets at a cinema in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

Echoes of modern political trauma

The film's popularity is deeply tied to its subject matter — the 1453 coup d'état where Grand Prince Suyang, later King Sejo, sent his nephew King Danjong into exile and claimed the throne for himself. Historical consultant Kim Soon-nam, a professor at Korea University, said the film's central question regarding the justifiability of a successful coup resonates intensely with modern audiences.

"The question is still valid today, and it seems even more significant since the December 2024 declaration of martial law," Kim said.

Producer Park Yoon-ho said audiences are connecting the personal and political stakes for the characters of the film. "It seems they empathize more with the choices, silences and responsibilities of a single human, rather than just looking at the course of history," Park said.

"Everyone must have experienced a moment of wavering in front of power or absurdity at least once, but I think it moved the hearts of many people to question what choices people make in such moments," he added.

Broader cultural impact

The film has triggered a broader interest in history of the period. Kyobo Bookstore reported sales of books related to the "Annals of the Joseon Dynasty" increased alsmost threefold between the film's release and March 2 compared to the pre-release period.

Publishers are rushing to reprint Lee Kwang-su's public-domain novel "The Tragic History of Danjong," while the National Changgeuk Company is preparing to debut a new work based on the same events called "Boheoja: The One Who Walks in the Void" on March 19.

Visitors flock to Cheongnyeongpo, the place of exile for King Danjong of the Joseon Dynasty, in Yeongwol County, Gangwon Province, Tuesday, as the film "The King's Warden" gains popularity. Courtesy of Yeongwol County

Regional tourism is also seeing a massive boom. Yeongwol County in Gangwon Province, home to major filming sites including Cheongnyeongpo and King Danjong's tomb, reported approximately 26,000 visitors during the recent holiday weekend from Friday to Sunday.

The three-day figure is equivalent to 10 percent of the sites' entire visitor total of 260,000 the previous year.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.