'The King’s Warden' fans flock to historic sites in rural Korea

Tourists crowd Jangneung Royal Tombs in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, March 8. The tombs are featured in the film “The King’s Warden.” Yonhap

With “The King’s Warden” surpassing 14 million moviegoers over the weekend, rural areas in South Korea are seeing a boost to their local economies as tourists flock to historical sites tied to the real-life events depicted in the film.

It’s success is spilling over into Yeongwol, where visitors are flocking to Cheongnyeongpo, the exile site of King Danjong, and Jangneung, the royal tomb of the Joseon king whose life forms the backbone of the story.

The Small Enterprise and Market Service under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups said Thursday that an analysis of KB Card sales data from 2,161 tourism-related businesses in Yeongwol showed that sales rose 35.7 percent in the four weeks after the film’s release last month, compared with the four weeks before its opening.

The number of visitors to Cheongnyeongpo and Jangneung also exceeded 70,000 after the film’s release, nearly double Yeongwol’s population of 35,917.

Sales at lodging and restaurant businesses rose 52.5 percent over the month, while arts, sports and leisure service businesses posted a 37.8 percent increase. Weekend sales saw an especially sharp jump, climbing 68.5 percent from the previous month.

Hong Jeong-hak, 59, who runs a restaurant near Yeongwol Station, said the number of out-of-town customers had risen by more than 30 percent since the film’s release.

“Many tourists are also visiting after reading social media reviews left by earlier customers,” he said.

Meanwhile, other local governments are also rolling out tourism content tied to the film’s success. Daegu, home to the tomb of Eom Heung-do — a loyal retainer who stayed by the exiled King Danjong’s side — has introduced a special tour program visiting sites linked to figures associated with Danjong. The program will run eight times from March 23 to April 28.

The tour includes Yuksinsa Shrine, dedicated to the six loyalists — among them Ha Wi-ji (1412-56) and Seong Sam-mun (1418-56) — who sought Danjong’s restoration, as well as the tomb of Eom Heung-do in Gunwi County and the village of his descendants. Eom is said to have settled there after leaving Yeongwol to escape persecution under King Sejo (1417-68).

Riding the wave of the film’s popularity, Jecheon in North Chungcheong Province, which borders Yeongwol, has also added Gwanranjeong Pavilion to its city tour route. The site honors the loyalty of Won Ho (1397-1463), one of the six loyalists. After Danjong’s dethronement, Won stepped down from office and built an altar there, where he is said to have paid tribute daily.

Tourists crowd Jangneung Royal Tombs in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, March 8. The tombs are featured in the film “The King’s Warden.” Yonhap

Experts say the tourism boom should be turned into a longer-term strategy.

“Yeongwol needs a sustainable strategy that connects the film’s content with its own distinctive tourism assets,” said Yoo Seung-gak, head of planning and coordination at the Gangwon Institute.

“Along with expanding tourism infrastructure, the county could also consider developing content themed around King Danjong through the four seasons, as well as symbols such as the rafts of Cheongnyeongpo,” he added.

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.