Actor Park Jihoon meets global audiences amid the box office phenomenon of The King's Warden.
The film The King's Warden (director Jang Hang-jun, distributed by SHOWBOX, produced by Onda Works/BAN Entertainment) is set in 1457 at Cheongnyeongpo and tells the story of village headman Eom Heung-do, who volunteered for exile to revive the village, and the young deposed former king Yi Hong-wi living together. After its release, it has moved audiences across generations and succeeded at the box office, charging ahead toward 10 million admissions.
Receiving enthusiastic responses and positive reviews from audiences, The King's Warden opened in 26 U.S. cities including New Jersey, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Seattle and Las Vegas, and has been released in various countries such as Canada, Australia, Taiwan and New Zealand, meeting overseas audiences.
In particular, The King's Warden opened in Australia on the 19th of last month and drew high interest. Local audiences at the time left reactions on social media such as "so moved that it opened in Australia" and "it was almost sold out; it would have been a disaster if I hadn't booked," making the film's global popularity tangible.
Also, The King's Warden recently surpassed 9 million cumulative admissions, bringing it one step closer to 10 million. Cited as the driving force of its success are the passionate performances of the cast, including Park Jihoon in the role of Danjong, and attention is focused on whether a domestic film will reach 10 million admissions for the first time in two years since Exhuma and The Roundup: Punishment in 2024.
In addition, The King's Warden was officially invited to the main competition section of the 28th Udine Far East Film Festival, which opens on Apr. 24, marking double celebration. The Udine Far East Film Festival is the largest film festival in Europe showcasing Asian films with a distinctive voice. Expectations are building over whether The King's Warden can captivate global audiences with its delightful humor and deep emotion that transcend language and nationality.
Alongside the film's success and rising popularity, Park Jihoon ranked No. 1 in the rising star brand reputation for Feb. 2026 released by the Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute, showing a steep upward trend.
Meanwhile, Park Jihoon is set to meet the public through the TVING original series Becoming the cook legend, scheduled to be released this spring, and variety shows featuring the full reunion of Wanna One for the first time in about seven years, expanding his activities.
[Photo] SHOWBOX
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