Man Living With King: 2nd Highest Grossing Korean Film

Director Jang Hang-jun's film 'The Man Who Lived with the King' has risen to second place in all-time box office rankings. According to the Korean Film Council's Integrated Network on the 11th, on its 67th day of release, the film recorded a cumulative audience of 16,283,970, surpassing the previous second-place holder 'Extreme Job' (16.26 million viewers).

The film is set in Cheongnyeongpo, Yeongwol-gun, Gangwon Province, in 1457. It tells the story of village chief Eom Heung-do (played by Yoo Hae-jin), who volunteers for exile to revitalize the village, and the young former king Danjong (played by Park Ji-hoon), who was exiled there. It has received praise for deeply exploring Danjong's tragic narrative and resonating with audiences of all generations, and the passionate performances of the lead actors, including Yoo Hae-jin and Park Ji-hoon, have sparked a trend of repeat viewings.

Distributor Showbox expressed its joy, stating, "We sincerely thank the 16.28 million people who visited Gwangcheon-gol." Currently, only 'The Admiral: Roaring Currents' (17.61 million viewers), the highest-grossing film of all time, stands ahead of 'The Man Who Lived with the King'.

On its 67th day of release, the 11th, 'The Man Who Lived with the King' surpassed 16.28 million viewers, breaking the record of 'Extreme Job' (2019, approx. 16.26 million viewers). Released on February 4th, the film gained traction through word-of-mouth during the Lunar New Year holiday and surpassed 10 million viewers on its 31st day of release. It subsequently surpassed the records of films like 'Exhuma', 'King and the Clown', '12.12: The Day', and 'Ode to My Father', and reached 16 million viewers on the 5th. Only three domestic films have drawn over 16 million viewers: 'The Man Who Lived with the King', 'Extreme Job', and 'The Admiral: Roaring Currents'.

Currently, 'The Man Who Lived with the King' has narrowed the gap with the number one film, 'The Admiral: Roaring Currents', to the 1.3 million range. However, considering recent audience trends, it remains uncertain whether it will break the top spot. The number of viewers on Fridays has been gradually decreasing, and the film is expected to see its box office momentum wane, as it ranked third in daily box office behind newly released films. Therefore, it seems unlikely to unseat 'The Admiral: Roaring Currents'.