(LEAD) 'The King's Warden' hits 10 million admissions, 1st film in 2 years

▲ Park Ji-hoon portrays the young, deposed King Danjong in Jang Hang-jun's "The King's Warden." in this still provided by Showbox Co. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ A still from "The King's Warden" is seen in this image provided by Showbox Co. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(LEAD) Korean film-milestone

(LEAD) 'The King's Warden' hits 10 million admissions, 1st film in 2 years

(ATTN: UPDATES with director's remarks, other details)

SEOUL, March 6 (Yonhap) -- "The King's Warden" has crossed the 10 million admissions mark Friday, a notable achievement as movie theaters continue to struggle to attract audiences in the face of fierce competition from streaming platforms.

The Korean historical film achieved the milestone in just over a month after its Feb. 4 premiere, making it the first film -- domestic or foreign -- in two years to surpass that threshold. The movie achieved the milestone at around 6:30 p.m., according to its distributor, Showbox.

The last films to do so were Jang Jae-hyun's supernatural thriller "Exhuma" in February 2024, which drew a cumulative audience of 11.9 million, and "The Roundup: Punishment," the fourth installment of the popular action-crime film franchise starring Ma Dong-seok, which followed two months later with 11.5 million viewers.

"The King's Warden" surpassed its break-even point of 2.6 million admissions during the Lunar New Year holiday and has since held onto the top spot at the domestic box office.

Directed by Jang Hang-jun, whose previous works include the action comedy "Break Out" (2002) and the sports drama "Rebound" (2023), it 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) during the latter's exile in the village.

The film has drawn praise for its ensemble performances, which allow 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.

"My family and I are all happy and cautious as we have never imagined this happening," Jang said through Showbox, shortly before the milestone was reached. "I feel grateful as I have received congratulations from many people."

Of all films that have been released in South Korea, "The King's Warden" is the 34th to surpass 10 million viewers.

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