The King's Warden" (tentatively translated: The King's Guard) is set in 1457 in Cheongnyeongpo - a remote location in Yeongwol district, Gangwon province (Korea), revolving around village chief Eom Heung Do (Yoo Hae Jin) - who decides to live with exiled king Danjong (Park Ji Hoon).
The King's Warden" premiered on February 4 in Korea, and officially surpassed the 1 million ticket mark on February 9. By dawn on February 15, the film officially surpassed the 2 million views mark, after 11 days in theaters. As of the afternoon of February 16, the work reached 2.33 million tickets.
It is highly likely that the film will surpass "Once we were us" - the highest-grossing film in Korea in 2026 (selling more than 2.5 million tickets), to reach the milestone of 3 million tickets during this Lunar New Year.
Right from its release, Korean media has given many positive reviews to "The King's Warden". With a tight plot and real acting, the film brings viewers many invested scenes and heart-touching scenes.
Previously, sharing about the film, male lead Park Ji Hoon emphasized that he wanted to portray the image of King Danjong not only as a victim but also as a dignitary character.
I wanted to show that even when exiled, Danjong still maintained the dignity of a king. I tried to change my voice from a gentle, childish voice to a deeper and stronger voice as the character grew up.
In this project, the male star is co-starring with actor Yoo Hae Jin. Park Ji Hoon said that he has learned a lot thanks to observing the senior's acting on set. The two became closer thanks to daily small conversations.
Meanwhile, Yoo Hae Jin also has a special affection for the project. He and the cast, although they already know the content, still cannot restrain their emotions when watching the work again on the big screen.
The actor said that he tries to act in the most appropriate way for the story. If there is a scene that confuses him, he will "tua" that situation in his head and review the script many times to perform better during filming.
