Home > Entertainment > Movies

'The King's Warden' becomes 3rd most-viewed film in Korean cinema history

Published: 23 Mar. 2026, 10:36

KIM JU-YEON
[email protected]

A poster for ″The King's Warden″ is hung at a movie theater in Seoul on March 8. [YONHAP]

"The King's Warden" has become the third most-watched film in Korean cinema history, data showed Monday, as the historical film continued its reign at the box office.

The film attracted about 803,000 moviegoers over the weekend, bringing its cumulative total to 14.75 million, according to the Korean Film Council.

It is now only behind two films in terms of admissions — the 2014 war epic "The Admiral: Roaring Currents" with 17.6 million and the 2019 action comedy "Extreme Job" with 16.2 million.

In box office revenue, it has already overtaken both films in part to higher ticket prices, earning 142.5 billion won ($94.6 million). "The Admiral: Roaring Currents" earned 135.7 billion won, while "Extreme Job" brought in 139.6 billion won.

It surpassed the fantasy action film "Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds" (2017) and the historical epic "Ode to My Father" (2014), which now rank fourth and fifth, respectively.

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

Directed by Jang Hang-jun, "The King's Warden" reimagines historical events through a fictional lens. The film follows the unlikely friendship between village chief Eom Heung-do, played by Yoo Hai-jin, and the deposed King Danjong, played by 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.

Meanwhile, the science fiction film “Project Hail Mary,” which opened last Wednesday, ranked second at the weekend box office. It drew about 430,000 moviegoers over the weekend for a 32.5 percent share of total ticket sales, bringing its cumulative audience to roughly 561,000.

Pixar animation “Hoppers” followed in third place with about 88,000 admissions, while the re-released “Attack on Titan the Movie: The Last Attack” (2024) ranked fourth with around 26,000.

As of 8 a.m. on Monday, “Project Hail Mary” led advance ticket sales with a 34.3 percent reservation rate, followed by “The King's Warden" at 25 percent.

BY KIM JU-YEON, YONHAP [[email protected]]