The period drama film 'The King and the Man', which depicts the last journey of King Danjong with a warm perspective, has set a new milestone in Korean cinema by surpassing 10 million viewers.
Distributor Showbox officially announced on the 6th at 6:30 PM that the cumulative audience number for 'The King and the Man' has exceeded 10 million. This marks the 34th film in history to reach 10 million viewers among domestic releases and is a valuable record born after a two-year drought in the theater industry.
After the releases of 'The Burial' and 'Crime City 4' in 2024, the absence of 10 million films in domestic theaters made this success feel like a much-needed rain during a drought. Particularly, capturing family audiences across all generations during the Lunar New Year and Independence Day holidays was analyzed as a decisive factor for its box office dominance.
The film portrays the final days of King Danjong Lee Hong-wi (played by Park Ji-hoon), who was deposed and exiled to Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, as he spends time with the villagers. The process of the village chief Eom Heung-do (played by Yoo Hae-jin), who is tasked with monitoring and protecting the exiled king, connecting with the young Danjong beyond their social statuses, provided deep resonance for the audience.
The overwhelming performances of the leads Yoo Hae-jin and Park Ji-hoon, along with the immersive acting of supporting actors like Yoo Ji-tae as Han Myung-hoe and Jeon Mi-do as the court lady Mae-hwa, garnered high praise. The warm narrative, which is not sensational but relatable, resonated with audiences of all ages, becoming the driving force behind its long-term success.
As a period drama, the record of attracting 10 million viewers is the fourth in history, following 'The King’s Man' (2005), 'Gwanghae, The Man Who Became King' (2012), and 'Myeongryang' (2014). Notably, the speed at which 'The King and the Man' surpassed 10 million, in just 31 days, is particularly noteworthy as it is a faster record than 'Gwanghae' and 'The King’s Man'.
Director Jang Hang-jun expressed his overwhelming feelings through the distributor, stating, "This is a situation I never imagined, so I am both happy and cautious," and he thanked many who congratulated him. The attention of the film industry is focused on the final box office score that 'The King and the Man' will write in the future, once again proving the strength of Korean period dramas.
