‘The King’s Warden’ Revitalizes Korean Cinema, Surpasses 11 Million Admissions
Seoul, South Korea – March 9, 2026 – “The King’s Warden” is proving to be a watershed moment for the Korean film industry, exceeding 11 million admissions as of Sunday, March 9th, and offering a much-needed boost after a period of struggle. The film’s success is drawing recognition from high-level officials, including President Lee .
A Welcome Respite for Korean Cinema
The success of “The King’s Warden” comes as a welcome relief to an industry that has faced challenges in recent years. Korean films last crossed the 10-million admission mark in 2024 with films like Jang Jae-hyun’s “Exhuma” and “The Roundup: Punishment” . Though, 2025 saw a downturn, with “My Daughter is a Zombie” being the highest-grossing domestic film, attracting 5.64 million viewers. Highly anticipated releases from acclaimed directors Bong Joon-ho (“Mickey 17”) and Park Chan-wook (“No Other Choice”) also underperformed, drawing 3.1 million and 2.94 million viewers, respectively .
Industry Trends and Recovery
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Korean film industry consistently achieved over 200 million annual admissions, peaking at 226 million in 2019. However, admissions plummeted to 51 million in 2020. While there was partial recovery to 115 million in 2022, numbers slipped again to 106 million in 2025 .
Despite the overall challenges, mid-sized films catering to niche audiences demonstrated resilience in 2025. Yeon Sang-ho’s low-budget film “The Ugly” attracted 1.07 million viewers, and the indie film “The World of Love” drew 200,000, a strong performance for independent cinema .
About ‘The King’s Warden’
Directed by Jang Hang-jun, “The King’s Warden” reimagines historical events, focusing on the friendship between village chief Eom Heung-do (Yoo Hae-jin) and the deposed King Danjong (Park Ji-hoon) during the latter’s exile . The film has been praised for its performances and its depiction of the historical setting . It reached the 11 million mark faster than other recent hits like “Exhuma,” “12.12: The Day,” and “Masquerade” .
Future Prospects for Korean Cinema
The success of “The King’s Warden” is expected to provide momentum for upcoming domestic films, including Na Hong-jin’s sci-fi mystery “Hope,” starring Hwang Jung-min and Zo In-sung, and Im Sang-soo’s “Heaven: To the Land of Happiness,” featuring Choi Min-sik and Park Hae-il.
The Korean government has also increased its support for mid-budget film productions, doubling the allocated budget to 20 billion won (approximately US$13.7 million) in 2026, recognizing their importance as the “backbone of Korean cinema.”