'The Man Who Lived as a King' Tops Box Office During Lunar New Year Holiday, Reaches 3.5 Million Attendees in 14 Days

The film "The Man Who Lived as a King" dominated the box office during the Lunar New Year holiday, demonstrating exceptional commercial success. It attracted 661,293 viewers on February 17 alone, securing first place on the box office charts, and its cumulative audience reached 3,521,118 viewers.

Having surpassed its break-even point of 2.6 million attendees on February 16, 13 days after its release, the film further broke through the 3.5 million mark in just 14 days, solidifying its position as the strongest performer in the holiday season. On February 16 specifically, it drew 537,190 viewers, setting a new record for the highest daily attendance during the Lunar New Year holiday since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020. It also set another record by attracting 660,000 viewers on the day of the Lunar New Year itself. The film maintained its position at the top in terms of ticket sales pre-release, with 320,000 advance tickets sold as of 0:00 a.m. on February 18.

The movie is set in Cheongnyeongpo in 1457. It tells the story of a village chief who voluntarily goes into exile to revitalize the village and a young former king who is deposed from the throne and exiled, marking the first South Korean film to focus primarily on the story of King Danjong.

Directed by the outstanding storyteller Jang Hang-joon, the film features Yu Hae-jin, the South Korean actor with the highest cumulative audience count for a film, in the role of Eom Heung-do, the village chief of Gwangcheongol, and popular actor Park Jihoon playing King Danjong Lee Hong-wi. Other notable actors such as Yu Ji-tae, Jeon Mi-do, Lee Joon-hyuk, Park Ji-hwan, and Ahn Jae-hong join forces to create a perfect ensemble performance. In particular, Yu Hae-jin, with his extensive acting experience, and Park Jihoon, who perfectly embodied King Danjong, delivered masterful performances in this emotionally gripping narrative that left audiences in tears.

"Humanity," starring Jo In-sung, Park Jung-min, Shin Se-kyung, and Park Hae-jun, came in second place on the same day with 213,264 viewers, bringing its cumulative audience to 1,099,754 viewers.