With over 11.5 million cumulative viewers, the movie 'The King and the Man Who Lives' has established itself as the highest-grossing film of 2026, but it is now embroiled in unexpected plagiarism allegations, drawing attention from both inside and outside the film industry.
According to a report by MBN on the 9th, claims have been made that the script of 'The King and the Man Who Lives', directed by Jang Hang-jun, is similar to a specific drama script written in the past. The party that first raised this suspicion is the family of the scriptwriter of the drama 'Eom Hong-do'. They argue that the character settings and overall narrative structure in the film significantly match the deceased's work.
In particular, the family has taken a strong stance by presenting specific evidence regarding the direction of certain scenes in the film and the detailed characteristics of the characters. They are also leaving open the possibility that the deceased's original draft may have been leaked during the film's production preparation process, urging for a thorough investigation into the exact circumstances.
As the controversy spread, the production company of 'The King and the Man Who Lives', Onda Works, immediately issued a statement refuting the claims. A representative from the production company emphasized in a media interview, "This work has a clear original author and original creator from the planning stage," and stated, "There has never been any reference to or theft of another's work during the production process."
Released on February 4, 'The King and the Man Who Lives' captures the heavy narrative of King Danjong, the 6th king of Joseon, and those who seek to protect him, garnering critical acclaim and audience praise. However, with the unexpected plagiarism controversy arising, there are concerns in the film industry about whether this will halt the film's ongoing box office success.
As a major work that has set a new milestone for Korean cinema and joined the ranks of ten million viewers, the battle over the originality of the work between the family and the production company is expected to unfold fiercely for the time being.
