▲ Moviegoers walk by a poster of "The King's Warden" at a cinema in Seoul, in this file photo taken March 8, 2026. (Yonhap)

Korean film-admissions

'The King's Warden' becomes 2nd most-viewed film ever

SEOUL, April 11 (Yonhap) -- "The King's Warden" has become the second most-watched film in Korean cinema history, its distributor said Saturday.

The film has attracted a cumulative audience of 16.28 million as of Saturday morning, outperforming the 16.26 million recorded by the 2019 comedy action "Extreme Job," the previous second-place holder, according to Show Box.

"The King's Warden" is now only behind the 2014 war epic "The Admiral: Roaring Currents" which holds the all-time record with 17.6 million admissions.

In box office revenue, however, it has already became the biggest earner, grossing 156.9 billion won (US$10.56 million), well above the 135.7 billion won earned by "The Admiral: Roaring Currents."

Whether it can close the admission gap with "The Admiral: Roaring Currents" remains uncertain. On Friday, "The King's Warden" ranked third in the local box office, with 38,000 tickets sold, behind the mystery horror "Salmokji" with 111,000 and "Project Hail Mary" with 56,000.

Directed by Jang Hang-jun, "The King's Warden" reimagines historical events through a fictional lens, following the unlikely friendship between village chief Eom Heung-do (Yoo Hai-jin) and the deposed King Danjong (Park Ji-hoon) of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) during the latter's exile in the village.

The film has drawn praise for its ensemble performance, allowing viewers to deeply connect with the young king's suffering and the villagers who rally wholeheartedly to his side, as well as its stunning depiction of the real-life exile location, among others.

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[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]