According to the Korean Film Council’s integrated box office database on Monday, the film drew 203,027 viewers the previous day to remain No. 1. Its cumulative audience has topped 11,706,746.
The film passed 10 million admissions at about 6:32 p.m. on March 6, its 31st day in release. It is the first 10 million-admissions film since the 2024 hit “The Roundup: Punishment,” and it is also the fourth historical drama to reach the mark, following “The King and the Clown,” “Masquerade” and “The Admiral: Roaring Currents.”
Showbox, the film’s investor and distributor, said, “We sincerely thank all audiences who supported ‘The Man Who Lives With the King’ and joined us in theaters.” A company official added that, with people increasingly watching movies alone, “the steps of audiences who came to the theater feel even more meaningful,” and pledged to keep working to release strong films.
A Lotte Cinema official said the film’s run shows that “if a movie is well made, audiences are always ready to breathe together in theaters,” adding that the cross-generational turnout could be “a decisive turning point” for a rebound in Korea’s film industry in 2026.
The Lunar New Year holiday period proved pivotal. From Feb. 13 to 18, the film drew 2,675,454 viewers and held the top box office spot for seven straight days. On Feb. 17, the day after the holiday, it attracted 661,449 viewers, setting a post-pandemic record for the highest single-day audience during the Lunar New Year period since March 2020.
A theater official said Korean films including “The Man Who Lives With the King” and “Humint” reclaimed the holiday box office lead after losing it to foreign titles last year, adding that the traditional historical drama drew family audiences across age groups.
Industry watchers also pointed to an unusual mix behind the film’s staying power: broad family turnout during the holiday, followed by a surge driven by actor fandom and in-person stage greetings. The cast — including Park Ji-hoon, Yoo Hae-jin, Yoo Ji-tae and Jeon Mi-do, along with special appearance Lee Jun-hyuk — took part in events that drew strong reactions, which spread through online communities and social media and encouraged repeat viewings.
A female moviegoer identified by her surname Kim said she became curious after seeing the actors’ active stage greetings and the online response, adding that their sincerity was “the decisive reason” she watched the film multiple times.
The milestone also marked career firsts and records for key cast members, the article said. Yoo Hae-jin, who plays village chief Eom Heung-do, now has five 10 million-admissions films. Yoo Ji-tae, who plays Han Myeong-hoe, earned his first 10 million-admissions title. Park Ji-hoon, who plays the deposed young former king Lee Hong-wi, reached the mark with his first commercial film.
Film critic Kim Heon-sik called it significant as “a 10 million-admissions film nobody predicted,” saying an original historical drama expanded its audience during the Lunar New Year holiday and then gained additional momentum from voluntary fandom support. He added that theaters still show their greatest strength with films that multiple generations can watch together.
The film’s run is being read as a symbolic signal for the broader market, with theaters hoping the momentum will continue in the weeks ahead.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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