Jang Hang-jun returns with moving Joseon-era tale

Jan 27, 2026, 11:22 am

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Director Jang Hang-jun poses ahead of the release of his new film The King’s Warden, set to open on Feb. 4. / Courtesy of Showbox

Director Jang Hang-jun is returning to the big screen with The King’s Warden, his first historical drama, set to open on Feb. 4. He said the most rewarding reaction so far has been hearing that preview audiences want to watch the film with their families during the Lunar New Year holidays.

Jang began his career as a writer on popular television variety shows such as Good Friends before entering the film industry as a screenwriter for The Adventures of Park Bong-gon. Over nearly three decades, he has directed seven films across genres including comedy, thriller and school sports dramas, while also writing numerous screenplays.

Despite his familiar image as a witty and candid television personality, Jang said he hesitated when first offered The King’s Warden. It was his first attempt at a historical film, and the tragic story of King Danjong is widely known to the Korean public.

“I initially turned down the offer,” Jang said during an interview at a café in Samcheong-dong, Seoul. “But after watching 12.12: The Day, I changed my mind. I realized that while the tragic ending everyone knows cannot be changed, a different perspective and approach could still deliver new emotion and enjoyment.”

He added that when he shared the idea with the director of 12.12: The Day, Kim Sung-soo, the response was enthusiastic. “Directors are always proud when younger filmmakers say they were influenced by their work,” he said with a smile.

The King’s Warden follows King Danjong (played by Park Ji-hoon), who is dethroned by his uncle and exiled to a remote mountain village. There, he forms an unlikely bond with village headman Eom Heung-do (played by Yoo Hae-jin) and the villagers, gradually regaining his will to live before facing danger again due to the schemes of Han Myeong-hoe (played by Yoo Ji-tae).

“Both Danjong, who begins the story weakened and defeated, and Eom Heung-do, who starts out driven by worldly desires, grow little by little as the film progresses,” Jang said. “The emotional exchange between these two characters is the core of the film.”

Jang also reinterpreted historical figures to explore how history might have changed if Danjong had returned to the throne. Unlike previous portrayals, Danjong is depicted as intelligent and resolute, while Han Myeong-hoe is portrayed as a physically imposing and skilled warrior.

Because the story is driven by the relationship between the two leads, their chemistry was critical. Jang said Park Ji-hoon and Yoo Hae-jin exceeded expectations. “Ji-hoon was remarkably calm and composed on set,” he said, adding that he was surprised after later seeing footage from Park’s idol days. Of Yoo, whom he has worked with since Light the Lighter, Jang said, “I knew he would be good, but I didn’t expect him to be this good.”

Asked about the reaction of his wife, acclaimed screenwriter Kim Eun-hee, Jang laughed. “She rarely talks about box office potential, but when she visited the set near the end of filming, she said, ‘I have a good feeling about this one.’ That was enough for me.”

#Jang Hang-jun #The King’s Warden #historical film #King Danjong #Lunar New Year movie