Director Jang Hang-jun mentioned his wife, Kim Eun-hee, as the reason he took on directing the film "The Man Who Lives with the King".
On Feb. 19, a production briefing for the film "The Man Who Lives with the King" was held at CGV Yongsan I'park Mall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. The production briefing was attended by director Jang Hang-jun and actors Yoo Hae-jin, Park Ji-hoon, Yoo Ji-tae and Jeon Mi-do, who spoke about the film.
The film "The Man Who Lives with the King" is set in 1457 at Cheongnyeongpo and tells the story of a village headman who volunteered for exile for the revival of his village and a young deposed king who was exiled; it is the first Korean film to focus on the hidden story of Danjong.
On the day, director Jang Hang-jun explained "The Man Who Lives with the King," saying, "This work is set in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province. It's a story about a small village led by Yoo Hae-jin and others. A change occurs in Hanyang, and someone is exiled there, and I think it's a story about the villagers who wait with half anticipation and half worry, and about the friendship between the village headman and Danjong Lee Hong-wi."
Director Jang Hang-jun is challenging himself with his first historical drama. With what mindset did he prepare? Director Jang said, "Actually, when I first received the offer I hesitated a lot. The film industry conditions at the time weren't good, and I hesitated because of the particularities of historical dramas, and I had never dealt with Danjong before. I thought it might be good to try, so when I told my family, the command to 'do it' was given," mentioning his wife, writer Kim Eun-hee.
Director Jang Hang-jun said, "She has good intuition. Then we should do it. You tend to listen to people who are doing well. If we're going to do it, we should go for fresh casting that people wouldn't expect, with actors who really act well," and laughed. When laughter broke out at his mention of his wife, Kim Eun-hee, he added, "I don't go to fortune-tellers."
Meanwhile, the film "The Man Who Lives with the King" is scheduled to open on Feb. 4, 2026.
[Photo] Reporter Lee Dae-seon
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