King's Man, Box Office Hits 5 Million on the 18th

The film 'The Man Who Lived with the King' is continuing its hot box office run, becoming the first film released in 2026 to surpass 5 million viewers. Director Jang Hang-jun expressed his delight, saying, "I am very happy to hear such good news consecutively while doing stage greetings," and conveyed his gratitude to the actors and staff who worked together.

'The Man Who Lived with the King' is a film set in 1457, depicting the friendship that transcends class between the young King Danjong and the village chief Eom Heung-do, who stayed by his side, in Cheongnyeongpo, Danjong's place of exile. Riding the wave of the film's popularity, tourists are flocking to Yeongwol, the actual place of King Danjong's exile, and scenes of tourists visiting Cheongnyeongpo are becoming a hot topic on online communities and social media.

Director Jang Hang-jun was moved, telling the audiences visiting Yeongwol, "It's fortunate that you are showing such affection and interest in the film." He added, "​Evaluations like 'It captured the era well' or 'The actors' performances are epic' are particularly memorable." The film has been receiving rave reviews for the passionate performances of actors such as Park Ji-hoon (as Danjong), Yoo Hae-jin (as Eom Heung-do), Jeon Mi-do (as Mae-hwa), and Yoo Ji-tae (as Han Myeong-hoe).

Following the film's box office success, news of director Jang Hang-jun and the production crew's overseas travel plans emerged. However, this was not a reward vacation but a gathering for the director to share the work with the staff, a gesture of consideration. Director Jang revealed that he took a trip with the directing staff for a break after filming, creating a heartwarming atmosphere.

'The Man Who Lived with the King' surpassed 5 million viewers in just 18 days after its release, a faster pace than 'King and the Clown' (20 days) and the same pace as 'Masquerade' (18 days). With this box office speed, film industry insiders are cautiously anticipating its potential to join the ranks of '10 million viewer' films.

Director Jang Hang-jun stated cautiously, "As the film market is difficult, we initially only hoped to break even." Nevertheless, 'The Man Who Lived with the King' is traveling across the country, responding to the audience's support through stage greetings and GV (Guest VJ) sessions.

The historical film 'The Man Who Lived with the King' and the spy action film 'Humint' are creating a buzz with their dual box office success, heating up the cinema scene. 'The Man Who Lived with the King' drew 581,184 viewers on the 21st, maintaining its number one position at the box office, with a cumulative audience of 5,260,595.

The box office speed of 'The Man Who Lived with the King' surpasses that of 'King and the Clown' and is at the same level as 'Masquerade'. It has solidified its position as the 'number one movie choice' in theaters, holding the top spot at the box office for nine consecutive days, including the Lunar New Year holiday.

'Humint' is also continuing its box office momentum through word-of-mouth, surpassing 1 million viewers in just six days after its release. Driven by a reverse trend in the CGV Golden Egg Index and high ratings, it is projected to exceed 1.5 million viewers by the 22nd, proving the robustness of Korean cinema alongside 'The Man Who Lived with the King'.

'The Man Who Lived with the King' surpassed 5 million viewers in 18 days after its release, a faster pace than 'King and the Clown' (20 days). It also showed the same box office speed as 'Masquerade' (18 days), signaling a long-term box office run.

Director Jang Hang-jun added, "We are simply grateful for the audience's support and expectations."

Lotte Cinema announced that during the Lunar New Year holiday in 2026, the cinema industry revived with the hottest audience enthusiasm since the pandemic. This Lunar New Year holiday achieved the greatest success for the holiday period since the pandemic, heralding a new spring for Korean cinema.

During this Lunar New Year holiday, Korean films accounted for over 90% of market share, receiving overwhelming support from audiences. 'The Man Who Lived with the King' captivated approximately 2.67 million viewers during the holiday alone, and 'Humint' is also continuing its box office success.

A Lotte Cinema official described this Lunar New Year holiday as "a precious turning point that brightly illuminated the path for audiences to return to theaters," and pledged to repay the audience's love with diverse content and differentiated services throughout the year.