The Warden

Lore & Background

The film focuses on the exile of King Danjong, the sixth King of Joseon, in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province. Yi Hong-wi, the teenage king of Joseon, is overthrown by his uncle, Grand Prince Suyang, and demoted to Prince Nosan. The powerful official Han Myŏnghoe sends the former king into exile in the hopes that he would commit suicide. Eom Heung-do is the chief of a poor village in the mountain valley of Cheongnyeongpo in Yeongwol. After visiting a neighboring village, which became prosperous after sheltering an exiled (later reinstated) aristocrat, he convinces his villagers to do the same after hearing the news of an exiled nobleman coming to the region. Heung-do's village is chosen as the place of exile for Prince Nosan due to its remote location. Nosan arrives with his loyal maid Mae-hwa. The villagers become anxious when they learn the true identity of Nosan, who is haunted by the memory of his loyal court officials who were brutally executed for opposing the new king. He grows suicidal and attempts to jump off a cliff, but is saved at the last second by Heung-do. Grand Prince Kŭmsŏng, another uncle of Nosan, secretly contacts him about an upcoming revolt to restore him to the throne.

Reader's Guide

The King's Warden was released on February 4, 2026, during the Korean New Year holiday. Industry analysts identified the project as a key release for the domestic box office following a period of high market share for foreign films. It was also released in the United States, Canada, Australia, Taiwan, and New Zealand, and featured in the Far East Film Festival. The film had a special screening in the Korean Horizons section of the 25th New York Asian Film Festival on July 23, 2026, as part of the 25th anniversary of the festival. According to data from KOBIS, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council, The King's Warden earned $4.9 million from 761,832 admissions in its opening weekend with a 58.1% of the total revenue share. Five days after the release, the film reached a cumulative total of $6.4 million from over 1 million admissions. The film had the biggest daily attendance since March 2020 on February 16, 2026, drawing 537,190 spectators in a single day. On March 6, it recorded 10 million admissions in South Korea, making it the 34th movie (25th Korean movie) to do so. As of July 23, the film has a cumulative total of 16.91 million admissions, making it the second most watched and highest grossing film in South Korea. At the 62nd Baeksang Arts Awards, it won three awards: the Grand Prize, Best New Actor, and Gucci Impact Award.

Did You Know?

• The King's Warden is director Jang Hang-jun's first time directing a historical drama (sageuk), despite his long career in other genres.
• Park Ji-hoon was cast as King Danjong for his ability to portray deep emotional vulnerability, a trait previously seen in his role in Weak Hero Class 1.
• The film was shot in locations such as Seondol and Mungyeong Saejae movie set because the original appearance of Cheongnyeongpo was not preserved.
• In May 2026, the family of the screenwriter of the TV drama Eom Heung-do sought a court injunction to halt the film's screening, alleging unauthorized use of elements from the writer's script. The court dismissed the request in July 2026.