Producer of 'The King's Warden' denies plagiarism allegations

▲ A moviegoer walks past a poster for "The King's Warden" at a movie theater in Seoul on March 6, 2026. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, March 10 (Yonhap) -- The production company behind the film "The King's Warden," which has surpassed 10 million moviegoers, on Tuesday denied allegations that the movie plagiarized a television drama script.

Onda Works, the film’s producer, said in a statement that claims of plagiarism are “groundless” and vowed to respond firmly, including through legal procedures.

“The allegations of plagiarism are completely unfounded, and we will respond resolutely through all available measures, including legal action,” the company said.

It added that although similarities may exist with other works because the film deals with historical figures and events, the production team had no exposure to or causal connection with the work in question during the creative process.

“There has been absolutely no plagiarism of other copyrighted works during the planning, development and production process,” the company said.

According to a report by MBN the previous day, the family of a deceased writer who wrote the script for the drama "Eom Heung-do" claimed that key settings and elements of "The King's Warden" resemble the late writer’s screenplay and demanded an explanation from the production company.

Onda Works reiterated that "The King's Warden" is a purely original work based on historical facts and that the entire creative process has been thoroughly documented and can be verified.

Directed by Jang Hang-jun, the film tells the story of the deposed Joseon king Danjong, played by Park Ji-hoon, spending the final period of his life in exile in Yeongwol while forming bonds with villagers, including village chief Eom Heung-do, portrayed by Yoo Hae-jin.

While the film follows historical events such as Danjong’s dethronement and exile, the relationship between Eom and the young king and the villagers’ interactions with him are fictional elements created for the film.

The movie surpassed 10 million admissions on Friday and had accumulated about 11.7 million viewers as of Tuesday.

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