The historical drama "The King's Warden" (tentatively translated: The King's Guard) surpassed 9 million viewers on March 2, bringing a very necessary boost to the Korean film industry - which is facing difficulties due to the lack of large-budget projects and frozen investment sentiment.
According to distributor Showbox, the film reached a total of 9 million views on its 27th day of release. This record-breaking speed is faster than previous box office blockbusters such as "The King and the Clown" (taking 50 days to reach the same milestone) and "Masquerade" (taking 31 days).
Notably, the film recorded the highest daily audience on Sunday with 817,205 views, surpassing the previous peak during the 2026 Lunar New Year holiday, showing that the film's appeal is still very strong.
Wide appeal to many age groups and genders, and the release time coinciding with the Tet holiday, has helped the film succeed in the context of the Korean film market being short of new domestic works.
Currently, the film is approaching the 10 million views mark - a milestone that no Korean film has surpassed since "Exhuma" in 2024.
According to Korea Times, the Korean film industry is regaining its growth momentum.
In addition to "The King's Warden", the romantic drama "Once we were us" starring Koo Kyo Hwan and Moon Ga Young, which has attracted 2.6 million views since its release on December 31, 2025, also contributes to proving that meticulously invested stories can still attract audiences to theaters.
The success of the two films is a strong reminder to an industry struggling due to lack of new works.
Data from KOFIC shows that the number of Korean commercial films with a budget of over 3 billion won is gradually decreasing over the years.
Once we were us" was produced with a modest budget of 4.5 billion won; while "The King's Warden" has a budget of 10.5 billion won.
In 2019, when total ticket sales in Korean cinemas reached a record 226.67 million, there were 45 budget films over 3 billion won released. The COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to streaming platforms caused this number to decrease to 35 films in 2022 and 2023; slightly recovering to 37 films in 2024; before falling again to 31 films last year.
Major film studios are increasingly cautious about expensive projects as ticket prices rise and audiences are attracted by online services.
However, the continuous success of "The King's Warden" and "Once we were us" proves that audiences are still willing to return to theaters for quality stories, whether the budget is moderate or large, and even if they are not giant Hollywood blockbusters like "Avatar".
The influence of "The King's Warden" has gone beyond box office revenue.
The number of tourists to Cheongnyeongpo in Yeongwol, Gangwon province (Korea) - the exile of King Danjong (1441-1457), the young Joseon king who was the central character of the story (played by Park Ji Hoon) has increased 5 times compared to the same period last year.
Faced with this sudden increase, local authorities had to deploy emergency crowd control measures when young people and families flocked to visit.
The film also sparked new interest in the main cast. Park Ji Hoon, who plays the young king, received many compliments for his restrained but emotional acting, causing many viewers to look back at his previous projects as well as learn more about the history of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).
Online communities are flooded with positive reviews. A spreading comment wrote: "The film has encouraged many people to learn about our history themselves.
Another viewer shared: "It's been many years since there was a movie that has tormented me for so long. I'm preparing to go see it for the second time.
