'The King's Warden' surpasses 14 mln admissions, ranks 5th among all-time releases

연합뉴스 / 2026-03-20 11:49:22

▲ This image provided by Showbox Co. shows a scene from "The King's Warden." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, March 20 (Yonhap) -- The film "The King's Warden," which has continued its strong box office run after surpassing 10 million viewers, has exceeded the 14 million mark in cumulative admissions.

According to distributor Allound Company, the film surpassed 14 million moviegoers as of Friday morning.

Released on Feb. 4, the film reached the 10 million milestone on its 31st day in theaters, March 6, and went on to surpass 14 million on its 45th day.

It has overtaken the box office records of major hits such as "Avengers: Endgame" (2019, 13.93 million), "Frozen II" (2019, 13.74 million) and "Avatar" (2009, 13.62 million).

"The King's Warden" has now become the fifth film ever released in South Korea to surpass 14 million admissions.

Only four films now remain ahead of it in cumulative admissions — "The Admiral: Roaring Currents" (2014, 17.61 million), "Extreme Job" (2019, 16.26 million), "Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds" (2017, 14.41 million) and "Ode to My Father" (2014, 14.25 million).

The film tells the story of the deposed King Danjong, played by Park Ji-hoon, who is exiled to Cheongnyeongpo in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, and forms bonds with local villagers, including headman Eom Heung-do, played by Yoo Hae-jin.

Blending the historical fact of Danjong’s dethronement and death with imagined human connections with villagers, the film has been praised for delivering both poignancy and emotional depth.

Strong performances by lead actors Yoo Hae-jin and Park Ji-hoon, along with supporting roles by Yoo Ji-tae, Jeon Mi-do and Lee Joon-hyuk, have also drawn favorable reviews, fueling repeat viewings.

As of Thursday, the film’s cumulative revenue stood at 134.5 billion won.