As The King's Warden, a film that captures one year of exile in the life of Joseon's sixth king, Danjong, nears the 10-million admissions mark, director Jang Hang-jun effectively walked back his "10-million pledge" to change his name and get plastic surgery.
On the 4th, Jang appeared on SBS Radio's "Bae Seong-jae's Ten Wednesday Live" and, regarding The King's Warden's strong run, said he was "grateful and couldn't believe it," sharing his thoughts.
Jang said that, thanks to the film's success, tourist numbers have increased in Yeongwol County, Gangwon, where it was shot. He also shared an episode about receiving a congratulatory text from director Park Chan-wook. Jang said, "(Director Park Chan-wook) told me I had accomplished something big and deserved applause. It was an honor," expressing his delight.
In the process, he also mentioned that his 10-million pledge was becoming a reality. Earlier, on a broadcast, Jang had made a 10-million pledge, saying, "If (this film) hits 10 million, I'll change my phone number and change my name and get plastic surgery." Jang explained, "I said it because I naturally thought it wouldn't reach 10 million." He added, "Since it's a pledge, the investors even held a countermeasure meeting."
Jang then said, "In hindsight, it's a relief I didn't say I'd give up half my entire assets. It's chilling to look back," while adding, "How does anyone keep every (promise) they make? Would there be even one such person in the whole world?" grounding the withdrawal of his pledge in reality.
Instead, Jang proposed a coffee truck event as an alternative. Jang's coffee truck event is scheduled to be held at noon on the 12th at The Seoul Shinmun plaza.
After the broadcast, online reactions included, "It was honestly funny in a way that's so Jang Hang-jun," and, "Even if he drops the pledge, the coffee truck is a nice touch." Others said, "At this point, the pledge itself is content," noting that Jang's signature "reckless character" was generating buzz alongside the film's success.
Meanwhile, The King's Warden is on the verge of surpassing 10 million admissions. According to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) integrated computer network on the 5th, The King's Warden added 189,643 moviegoers the previous day. The cumulative audience stands at 9,597,461, about 400,000 short of 10 million.