The Man Who Lives with the King eyes 10m Headline Style 2

Feb 27, 2026, 07:29 am

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A scene from The Man Who Lives with the King, depicting the friendship between the deposed King Danjong (Park Ji-hoon, left) and village chief Eom Heung-do (Yoo Hae-jin) in exile. / Courtesy of Showbox, Naver Movie / Graphic by Park Jong-gyu

Whether the historical drama The Man Who Lives with the King will join the elite club of 10 million-ticket films is expected to become clearer this weekend, as the box-office hit continues its strong run.

According to the Korean Film Council’s box office data on Wednesday, the film drew 309,574 moviegoers on Tuesday alone, topping the daily box office for the 15th consecutive day. Since its release on Feb. 4, it has amassed a cumulative audience of 6.53 million in just 22 days.

Distributor Showbox noted that the film reached 6 million viewers in 20 days — matching the pace of the 2012 blockbuster Masquerade and nine days faster than The King and the Clown.

Until recently, many industry observers had predicted that the film would likely finish its run with around 9 million admissions, citing today’s different theater environment and audience trends compared with past period hits.

Producer Choi Aram said reports of tourism surging in Yeongwol — the place of exile of King Danjong — and a spike in online reviews at Gwangneung, where King Sejo is buried, have fueled the film’s cultural impact. “When I saw these stories featured prominently in evening news broadcasts, I began to think it could reach 10 million,” Choi said.

In South Korea, 10 million admissions is widely regarded as a benchmark of blockbuster status, often accompanied by repeat viewings and a broader social phenomenon.

Attention is now focused on the extended weekend from Feb. 27 to March 2. If the film attracts at least as many viewers as last weekend’s 1.41 million and pushes its cumulative total beyond 8 million, the path toward the coveted 10 million milestone could come into view.

As of Wednesday morning, advance reservations stood at 246,984 tickets. Industry analysts say successful films often see actual attendance exceed reservations by three to five times, particularly as word-of-mouth draws middle-aged and regional audiences who typically purchase tickets on-site.

With momentum building and an extra holiday boosting theater traffic, all eyes are on whether The Man Who Lives with the King can defy earlier projections and achieve the 10 million mark.

#The Man Who Lives with the King #Showbox #Yoo Hae-jin #Park Ji-hoon #Danjong