The film The King's Warden, which captures one year of exile of Danjong, the sixth king of Joseon, is on the verge of surpassing 12 million admissions after topping a cumulative 10 million, and director Jang Hang-jun plans to attend the Danjong Culture Festival in Yeongwol County, Gangwon, in person.
According to Yeongwol County on the 9th, director Jang will attend the 59th Danjong Culture Festival, which will be held on Apr. 24–26. The Danjong Culture Festival is a local cultural event held to honor the historical significance of Danjong and the region's identity. The event will take place at Cheongnyeongpo (the area where Danjong was demoted to Prince Nosan and exiled), which served as the film's backdrop, as well as around Jangneung, Danjong's tomb, and the Donggang riverside.
At the opening ceremony, the musical Danjong 1698 will be staged, presenting through performance the meaning of 1698, the year Danjong was reinstated by Sukjong. In addition, various programs will be held, including ▲a reenactment of Danjong's state funeral ▲Danjong ancestral rites ▲a reenactment of the royal wedding (gare) of Danjong and Queen Jeongsun ▲the Queen Jeongsun selection contest ▲the Byeolbyeol K performance.
On the first day, director Jang will give a special lecture at the Yeongwol Culture and Arts Center and also attend the opening ceremony. Lead actors including Yoo Hae-jin and Yu Ji-tae are reportedly coordinating their schedules to attend the Danjong Culture Festival.
Actor Park Ji-hoon, who played Danjong, could not attend in person due to scheduling, but lent support with a promotional video. Appearing in a promotional clip posted on the YouTube channel Danjong Culture Festival on the 4th, Park said, "While filming in Yeongwol, I was able to shoot with a happy heart thanks to the clear nature and warm people," adding, "The Danjong Culture Festival will be held in precious Yeongwol next month. I hear there are various programs prepared that will let you feel Danjong's story up close."
In particular, this year's festival is expected to draw more tourists than in previous years, buoyed by the box office success of The King's Warden. According to Yeongwol County, from Jan. 1 to Mar. 8 this year, about 110,000 tourists visited Cheongnyeongpo and Jangneung. Last year, the annual visitor count did not surpass 100,000 until June, but this year, driven by the film's popularity, the same level was reached in about two months. During the Lunar New Year holiday, Cheongnyeongpo saw 10,641 visitors, more than five times year over year.
Meanwhile, The King's Warden has entered the final stretch toward 12 million. According to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) integrated computer network, The King's Warden drew about 1.72 million moviegoers over the weekend (Mar. 6–8), bringing its cumulative audience to roughly 11.5 million. As of 8 a.m. that day, its real-time reservation rate was holding at 55.2%, and it is expected to surpass the records of the 10-million films Train to Busan (11.56 million) and Exhuma (11.91 million).