Thanks to the box-office success of the film The King's Warden, which captures one year of exile in the life of Joseon's sixth king, Danjong, the number of visitors to Cheongnyeongpo (Danjong's place of exile) and Jangneung (Danjong's tomb) in Yeongwol County, Gangwon, has surged.
According to Yeongwol County on the 3rd, during the Independence Movement Day holiday from the 28th to the 2nd, visitors to Cheongnyeongpo and Jangneung totaled 26,399, with 14,905 and 11,494, respectively. Adding the 17,916 visitors during the Lunar New Year holiday (Feb. 14–18) brings the total to 44,315. That is equivalent to 34% of last year's annual visitors to Cheongnyeongpo and Jangneung.
Yeongwol County said the main reason is that Cheongnyeongpo was featured as a key setting in The King's Warden. In fact, on the 28th and on the 1st, crowds led to early closure of ticketing at 4 p.m. for Cheongnyeongpo, which requires crossing by boat.
A county official said, "During peak season, we plan to guide visitor dispersal centered on Cheongnyeongpo and strengthen staffing to manage congestion."
Yeongwol County also expects many visitors during the upcoming Danjong Culture Festival. The 59th Danjong Culture Festival is scheduled to be held from Apr. 24 to 26 at Jangneung and the Donggang riverside, among other venues. The Danjong Culture Festival is a local cultural event held to honor the spirit of King Danjong's troubled soul and the loyalty of figures such as Eom Heung-do, who gathered Danjong's remains.