Yoo Ji-tae, a Ten Million Viewer Actor After 28 Years

Actor Yoo Ji-tae has achieved the title of "​10 Million Viewer Actor" for the first time in his 28-year career after celebrating the 10 million viewer milestone for the film '​The Man Who Lived With the King'. He shared a screenshot of his Naver profile on his Instagram, where a golden trophy icon, awarded to "10 Million Viewer Actors," was added next to his name.

'The Man Who Lived With the King' is a film set in 1457 at Cheongnyeongpo, depicting the story of the young deposed King Danjong, who was exiled, and the villagers who welcomed him. On the 6th, around 6 PM, the movie surpassed 10 million cumulative viewers just 31 days after its release, becoming the first 10 million viewer film of the year.

This film, directed by Jang Hang-jun, stars Yoo Hae-jin, Park Ji-hoon, Yoo Ji-tae, Jeon Mi-do, and Kim Min, with special appearances by Park Ji-hwan, Lee Joon-hyuk, and Ahn Jae-hong. 'The Man Who Lived With the King' is the first 10 million viewer film to be produced in two years since 'The Roundup: Punishment' in 2024, and it is the fourth historical film to achieve this success, following 'King and the Clown', 'Masquerade', and 'The Admiral: Roaring Currents'.

In a past interview, Yoo Ji-tae honestly stated, "I haven't had a 10 million viewer film yet," and "I want to become a 10 million viewer actor." He also expressed his desire for a 10 million viewer film on MBC FM4U's 'Bae Cheol-soo's Music Camp', saying, "In my heart, I consider it 10 million. Still, I hope it reaches 10 million."

In an interview prior to the release of 'The Man Who Lived With the King', he expressed his anticipation for the film's success, remarking, "My personal wish is for it to be seen by more people than my previous works that achieved the highest scores." He also touched upon the immeasurable value of films beyond box office numbers, saying, "'Oldboy' was seen by 3.5 million people, and I was ranked 16th among villains worldwide."