The Man Living with the Ten Million Viewer Breakthrough King

Allegations have surfaced that the film 'The King and the Man', which surpassed 10 million viewers, plagiarized the script of the past drama 'Eom Heung-do'. The film's production company, Onda Works, refuted these claims, stating "It is groundless" and "​We will respond resolutely through all processes, including legal action."

The bereaved family of the 'Eom Heung-do' drama's screenwriter demanded an explanation from the production company, claiming that the main settings and content of 'The King and the Man' are similar to the deceased father's script. Specifically, they argued that the plot points about King Danjong refusing food and then befriending the villagers, Eom Heung-do saving King Danjong as he throws himself off a cliff, and Eom Heung-do's son being dragged to the government office are similar.

Onda Works emphasized, "As the film is based on historical figures and events, there may be creative works claiming similarity, but there is no connection or causal relationship with the work in question during the creative process, and there is absolutely no plagiarism of other copyrighted material during the planning, development, and production stages." They added, "'The King and the Man' is a purely original creation based on historical facts, and the entire creative process is meticulously documented and can be proven."

Director Jang Hang-jun's 'The King and the Man' depicts the story of the deposed King Danjong interacting with the villagers during his exile. While the deposition and exile of King Danjong are based on historical facts, the relationship between Eom Heung-do and King Danjong, among other elements, are classified as 'Faction', filled with cinematic imagination.

The film 'The King and the Man' has been a box office success since its release, surpassing 10 million viewers, with cumulative attendance exceeding 11.7 million. In appreciation of this success, a stage greeting event is scheduled to be held on the 17th at Megabox COEX.