'Still in awe': Production company CEO behind 'The King's Warden' stunned by film's unexpected success

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'Still in awe': Production company CEO behind 'The King's Warden' stunned by film's unexpected success

Published: 12 Mar. 2026, 12:09 Updated: 12 Mar. 2026, 14:37

KIM JI-YE
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Lim Eun-jung, the CEO of the budding production company Onda Works, the company behind “The King’s Warden″ [SHOWBOX]

Creating a box office hit, especially one that draws over 10 million moviegoers, is no easy feat, even for a major production company. And for a relatively new player in the field, the odds are even slimmer.

Yet, that seemingly implausible story has become true for Onda Works, the budding production company behind “The King’s Warden,” which surpassed 12 million ticket admissions as of Wednesday.

Lim Eun-jung, the CEO of Onda Works, said during a roundtable interview at a cafe in central Seoul on Wednesday that she is "still in awe" of the film’s unexpected success.

Onda Works was established in 2023, and “The King’s Warden” is its first film. Lim previously spent over a decade at CJ ENM, where she worked in film development, production and investment, before launching Onda Works.

The film’s success has breathed new life into the Korean film industry, which has struggled to recover since the Covid-19 pandemic. Lim said that she is just happy to have played a part in reviving cinema in the country, adding that she has received endless messages of congratulations and thanks from filmmakers and industry insiders alike.

“We did have a certain audience number in mind, but we never expected the film to become this big of a hit," Lim said. "I’m just proud that the film seems to have given some hope for everyone at a time when people were questioning whether another film that reaches an audience of 10 million people could ever be seen again.”

Directed by Chang Hang-jun, the historical period film “The King’s Warden” is set in 1457 — the year King Dangjong (r. 1452-1455) died — and follows Eom Heung-do, the chief of a poor rural village. Eom voluntarily invites a high-ranking exile in hopes of reviving his community, and later discovers that the exile is in fact the dethroned king. The film centers on the evolving relationship and mutual growth between Eom and the exiled monarch.

The film stars veteran actor Yoo Hai-jin as Eom, and former boy band Wanna One’s Park Ji-hoon as King Danjong, alongside seasoned actors Yoo Ji-tae and Jeon Mi-do.

Because of the high-profile and experienced cast, Lim said that when she first heard who had joined the film, she felt as if she had “won a gold medal.”

Still from historical film ″The King's Warden″ [SHOWBOX]

Lim was also the one who strongly backed Park for the role of King Danjong, revealing that she had been keeping an eye on him since his idol days. Park first gained public recognition through the K-pop audition show “Produce 101” (2016-17), landing in second place and debuting as a member of Wanna One, the project group formed through the show.

Lim admitted that she had some reservations about whether Park would be able to build chemistry with his costars, most of whom were veteran actors, as he had often worked alongside people around his age. However, she said after witnessing his passion for acting and the way he connected with the cast, her perspective changed.

“At some point, I started telling him, ‘Ji-hoon, I trust you,’ whereas before I would ask, ‘Ji-hoon, are you okay?’” she said.

Despite the historical film being one of the biggest box office successes in years for the Korean film industry, it has not been without criticism, most notably for its awkwardly rendered CGI tigers, with many viewers finding them distracting.

The film’s distributor, Showbox, announced on Wednesday that the tigers would be improved. Lim also addressed the issue, acknowledging its shortcomings.

“It’s true that there were things we should have done better,” she said. “But because so many people talked about it, we were given the chance to fix it. As a producer, I think that’s actually quite fortunate.”

However, she said that whether the newly rendered tigers will be added during the film's theatrical run is still under discussion.

The film has also recently faced a plagiarism allegation, which Lim strongly denied, emphasizing that she has been involved in the project since its earliest planning stages, adding she had been working on the story since her time at CJ ENM, though it was not able to come to life during her time there.

“From the very first line of the treatment to the synopsis, records of every stage of the production process remain, including contracts and meeting minutes,” she said. “If those records are made public, I believe there would be no room for doubt.”

With a successful first film already under its belt, Lim offered a simple answer when asked what kind of films she hopes to produce in the future.

“At the end of the day, you want to make films that people want to come to theaters for,” she said. “So, to put it simply, I want to make films that are both entertaining and meaningful. I also try to take a more specific approach to what audiences need most right now.”

BY KIM JI-YE [[email protected]]