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Sorrow in the trees: Visitors trek to real-life location of 'The King's Warden' in Cheongnyeongpo

Published: 11 Mar. 2026, 08:05

Visitors look around a traditional residence in Cheongnyeongpo in Yeongwol County, Gangwon on March 6, where the deposed King Danjong (r. 1452-55) was exiled, as visits to the scenic site have surged following the popularity of the historical drama film ″The King's Warden.″ [PARK JIN-HO]

YEONGWOL, Gangwon — Cheongnyeongpo, a scenic spot in Yeongwol County, Gangwon, where the deposed King Danjong (r. 1452-55) was exiled, is drawing renewed attention as visitors retrace the tragic final chapter of the young king’s life upon the success of Korea's latest box office hit "The King's Warden."

The site, often described as an “island on land,” was surrounded by water on three sides and backed by steep cliffs when this reporter visited the spot on Friday morning. Located along the upper Namhan River in Yeongwol, Cheongnyeongpo can only be reached by boat. Despite the challenges, visitor numbers have steeply risen following the box-office success of “The King’s Warden,” which has sold more than 10 million tickets just a month after its theatrical release.

A ‘Forest of a Thousand Years’

After crossing the river by boat and entering Cheongnyeongpo, visitors first encounter a dense pine forest. The Korea Forest Service designated the forest here as “Forest of a Thousand Years” in 2004 because of its lush greenery.

Further inside, one can find Danjong Eoso, a tile-roofed residence recreated to resemble the place where the king is believed to have stayed.

Danjong was born to King Munjong (r. 1450-52) and Queen Hyeondeok (1418-1441) of the Kwon clan. He was known for his intelligence and was deeply loved by his grandfather, King Sejong the Great (r. 1419–1450).

Among Joseon (1392-1910) kings, he is regarded as the only ruler with the most complete legitimate royal lineage. He ascended the throne after progressing through the ranks of royal grandson, crown prince’s son and crown prince.

Danjong became king in 1452 at the young age of 12. He was forced to relinquish the throne to his uncle, King Sejo, in 1455 and step down as a retired king. At 16, he was exiled to Cheongnyeongpo in Yeongwol. At 17, he was executed by poison at Gwanpungheon. He was posthumously restored to the throne in 1698 during the reign of King Sukjong.

A view inside the Danjong Eoso, a tile-roofed residence recreated to resemble the place where King Danjong is believed to have stayed, in Yeongwol County, Gangwon, on March 6. [PARK JIN-HO]

Pine tree honors loyalty

Several historical markers stand nearby. They include the Danmyo Yujibi, erected to commemorate the site of Danjong’s exile, the Geumpyobi, which once barred ordinary citizens from entering and the Manghyang Tower, which is said to have been built by Danjong as he longed for Hanyang, present-day Seoul.

There is also a pine tree that appears to bow toward the royal residence and memorial stone. It is known as the “Eom Heung-do Pine” and commemorates Eom Heung-do, the loyal official who recovered Danjong’s body after his death, defying orders from Danjong's uncle and the new king, King Sejo.

“As I stepped off the boat and entered the exile site, I immediately felt sorrow and pity wondering how Danjong could have endured life in such a place,” said Lee Sun-hwa, from Hongcheon County, Gangwon, after visiting Cheongnyeongpo following a viewing of “The King’s Warden.” “Thinking about Danjong, who must have felt trapped and unable to escape, made me unexpectedly emotional.”

Visitors get off a boat and walk towards Cheongnyeongpo, a scenic spot in Yeongwol County, Gangwon, on March 6. [PARK JIN-HO]

Trees ‘saw and heard’ Danjong’s sorrow

Deeper in the forest stands a particularly tall pine tree known as Gwaneumsong, which is believed to embody Danjong’s sorrow. The tree is about 30 meters (98 feet) tall, and its trunk circumference measures 5.19 meters at chest height. About 1.6 meters above the ground, the trunk splits into two branches resembling the wings of a crane.

The tree is estimated to be around 600 years old. It is said to be the place where Danjong, after being demoted to Nosan-gun, sat and wept while looking toward Hanyang.

The name Gwaneumsong is derived from the characters meaning “to see” and “to hear.” The name symbolizes that the tree both witnessed and heard the king’s sorrow.

“As I took the boat into Cheongnyeongpo, I realized how perfectly suited it was as a place of exile,” said Kim Eun-ju, from Jeonju, North Jeolla. “Thinking about what the young king must have endured in such isolation breaks my heart.”

The ″Eom Heung-do Pine,″ which commemorates Eom Heung-do, the loyal official who recovered King Danjong’s body, is seen in Yeongwol County, Gangwon, on March 6. [PARK JIN-HO]

A tall pine tree known as Gwaneumsong is seen in Yeongwol County, Gangwon, on March 6. [PARK JIN-HO]

Tomb named World Heritage site

Traces of Danjong remain throughout Yeongwol. One of the most notable sites is Jangneung, the king’s tomb, where the annual Danjong Cultural Festival is held every spring.

Jangneung is one of the 40 royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) that were inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage list in 2009.

“Jangneung is not shown in the film, but I came here wondering why Danjong was laid to rest in this place,” said Lee Suk-kyeong, who visited from Seoul. “The sadness I felt while watching the movie has stayed with me, so I plan to visit Jangneung again during the King Danjong Culture Festival this year.”

Yeongwol County has held the King Danjong Culture Festival at Jangneung annually since 1967. The 59th edition will take place from April 24 to 26 this year. It will include royal ancestral rites, folk rituals, a kudzu rope-tugging event and a reenactment of the royal funeral procession to honor Danjong’s eternal rest and symbolic return.

A still from ″The King's Warden″ [SHOWBOX]

Gwanpungheon in Yeongwol is another site connected to Danjong. He moved there from Cheongnyeongpo after the exile site became vulnerable to flooding during the rainy season. He stayed at Gwanpungheon for about two months before being forced to drink poison.

After Danjong’s death, Eom secretly buried the body on a sunny hillside in Yeongwol. That site later became Jangneung.

Another historical site is Changjeol Seowon, which houses the memorial tablets of 10 loyal figures connected to Danjong. They include the six martyrs who died trying to restore him to the throne and two loyalists who outlived Danjong.

Founded in 1685, Changjeol Seowon contains 10 “trees of loyalty.” Each is accompanied by a stone marker showing the clan names and posthumous titles of the loyal officials.

Jangneung, King Danjong's tomb, where the annual Danjong Cultural Festival is held, is seen in Yeongwol County, Gangwon, on March 6. [PARK JIN-HO]

Surge of visitors following film

More visitors have been traveling to Cheongnyeongpo and Jangneung following the success of the film “The King’s Warden,” which surpassed 10 million viewers within a month of its release on Feb. 4.

The cumulative number of visitors this year had reached 90,444 as of last Monday, according to Yeongwol County. That figure already amounts to about a third of last year’s annual total of 263,327.

A poster for the film ″The King's Warden″ [SHOWBOX]

“The King’s Warden” depicts Danjong, played by singer-actor Park Ji-hoon, spending his final days in exile at Cheongnyeongpo. The film also portrays the bonds he forms with village chief Eom, played by Yoo Hai-jin, and local residents.

Director Chang Hang-jun is expected to visit Yeongwol during the upcoming King Danjong Culture Festival in April.

“At a time when the history of Danjong and the value of Yeongwol are being rediscovered through the film ‘The King’s Warden,’ the participation of the director and actors in the festival will be a great source of support,” said Yeongwol County head Choi Myeong-seo. “We will do our best to promote Yeongwol’s charm — where history, culture and tourism come together — through this festival.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK JIN-HO [[email protected]]

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Sorrow in the trees: Visitors trek to real-life location of 'The King's Warden' in Cheongnyeongpo

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