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'The King's Warden' breaks 15 million admission mark

Published: 25 Mar. 2026, 19:55

A scene from ″The King's Warden″ [SSL]

"The King's Warden" has surpassed 15 million admissions Wednesday, the film's local distributor Showbox said, extending its run as one of Korea's biggest box-office successes of all time.

The milestone comes just less than a month after the historical drama crossed the 10 million-admissions mark, a significant threshold in a country of about 52 million people.

Through Sunday, the film had drawn 14.75 million viewers to theaters nationwide, making it the third most-watched film in the country.

The movie is now roughly 1.2 million admissions away from claiming the No. 2 spot, currently held by the 2019 action-comedy "Extreme Job", which recorded 16.2 million admissions.

Directed by Jang Hang-jun, "The King's Warden" reimagines historical events through a fictional lens, following 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 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.

Yonhap