Ten-Million-Viewer Film 'The Man Who Lives With the King' Fever Spreads to Yeongwol, Setting Stage for Record-Breaking Danjong Culture Festival

With the film "The Man Who Lives With the King" (locally nicknamed "The Man Who Lives With the King," from the movie "The King’s Warden") drawing more than 10 million viewers, its box-office fever is spreading to its filming location, Yeongwol. As a result, the "59th Danjong Culture Festival," which opens on April 24, is expected to enjoy unprecedented popularity.
The Yeongwol Culture and Tourism Foundation has set this year’s slogan for the Danjong Culture Festival, which marks its 60th anniversary next year, as "Return of the King, Dawn of Hope." The festival plans to welcome visitors by recreating the narrative of King Danjong from the film in real life.
The opening ceremony that kicks off the festival will feature the musical "Danjong, 1698." The performance symbolizes the year 1698, when King Danjong of Joseon was posthumously reinstated as king by King Sukjong of Joseon. Through music and performance, it will depict the "return of the king," honoring the tragic monarch as Yeongwol’s eternal king and reinforcing the festival’s symbolism.


For the first time, the "Reenactment of the Royal Wedding of King Danjong and Queen Jeongsun" will be staged to commemorate the unfulfilled bond between King Danjong and Queen Jeongsun of the Yeosan Song clan. This new program will present a fresh narrative that combines historical accuracy with artistic expression. Then, at 1 p.m. on the 24th, the 26th Queen Jeongsun Contest will be held to select a modern-day Queen Jeongsun who embodies traditional beauty and dignity, showcasing Yeongwol’s unique historical content throughout the festival period.
In particular, as "The Man Who Lives With the King" has set a major milestone by surpassing 10 million viewers, the number of visitors to Yeongwol has surged. This is fueling expectations that this year’s Danjong Culture Festival will achieve record-breaking success.
According to Yeongwol County, as of the 7th, more than 100,000 people have visited Cheongnyeongpo and Jangneung in just two months since the film’s release. This figure already represents 40% of last year’s total annual tourist count of 260,000. During the Lunar New Year holiday alone, visitors to Cheongnyeongpo reached 10,641, more than five times the number from a year earlier, as all of Yeongwol enjoys the tourism boom driven by "The Man Who Lives With the King."


Reflecting this intense enthusiasm, director Jang Hang-jun of "The Man Who Lives With the King" is reported to have canceled his overseas film festival schedule and will visit Yeongwol in person on the opening day, the 24th. Jang plans to give a lecture on King Danjong at Yeongwol Academy and then attend the opening ceremony, further boosting the festival’s excitement. Lead actors Yoo Hae-jin and Yoo Ji-tae are also said to be adjusting their schedules to attend, raising expectations that this year’s Danjong Culture Festival will draw the largest crowds in its history.
Meanwhile, according to the Korean Box Office Information System (KOBIS) operated by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), "The Man Who Lives With the King" attracted 750,454 viewers on the 7th alone, bringing its cumulative audience to 10.8 million. After surpassing 10 million viewers on the 6th, just 31 days after its release, the film drew nearly 800,000 additional viewers in a single day and is now on the verge of breaking the 11-million mark.
Sangheon Park, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Yeongwol Culture and Tourism Foundation, said, "This year’s Danjong Culture Festival will transform the pain of King Danjong into a message of hope, creating a space where citizens and visitors can share in that emotion together." He added, "We hope people will experience the emotion of this ten-million-viewer film on site and use the opportunity to widely promote Yeongwol’s historical and cultural value."

kees26@fnnews.com Kim Ki-seop Reporter