Buoyed by the film The King's Warden surpassing 10 million viewers, tourists are flocking to Yeongwol, the setting of the film.
On the 7th, Yeongwol County said that the cumulative number of visitors this year to Danjong-related historic sites in Yeongwol, such as Cheongnyeongpo and Jangneung, has exceeded 100,000. Compared with last year, when the 100,000 mark was only passed in June, this year achieved a similar figure in just over two months.
This is interpreted as the ripple effect of the hit film The King's Warden (director Jang Hang-jun, provided/distributed by SHOWBOX, produced by Onda Works·BA Entertainment, abbreviated "The King's Warden"). The King's Warden surpassed a cumulative audience of about 10 million on the 6th, earning the label of a "10-million film," and demand for trips to Yeongwol surged among viewers who saw the film.
The King's Warden is a film that tells the story set in 1457 at Cheongnyeongpo, about a village head who volunteered for exile to revive the village and a young deposed king who was exiled. It tenderly portrays the tragic Joseon king Danjong (Park Jihoon) who was deposed and killed at a young age, and Um Heung-do (Yoo Hai Jin), who risked his life to watch over his last moments, earning praise.
In particular, the film surpassed a nationwide cumulative audience of 10 million at about 6:32 p.m. on the 6th. It was an achievement in just 31 days since its release on the 4th of last month. With a 10-million film born in Korea for the first time in two years since the 2024 film The Roundup: Punishment, interest in The King's Warden continues unabated.
Meanwhile, tourists, especially film fans, are flocking to Danjong-related historic sites located around Yeongwol County that served as the film's backdrop, such as Cheongnyeongpo and Jangneung. Beyond merely taking an interest in Danjong's story after watching the film, more viewers are visiting the actual sites of Danjong's exile and tomb to continue their reflections.
As intense interest in The King's Warden continues, attention is focused on whether the film's heat will keep driving demand for travel to Yeongwol.
[Photo] Provided by SHOWBOX.
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