Reviewing 'The King’s Warden'

South Korean cinema has not been doing as well as expected after "Parasite" won at the Oscars several years ago. After a few years without a megahit, "The King’s Warden," directed by Jang Hang-jun, is mesmerizing South Korean moviegoers. Released on Feb. 4, the film exceeded 13 million total admissions as of last weekend, capturing my interest. I volunteered to go to an evening screening with my wife to explore the film about the dramatic final days of the deposed King Danjong (1441-57) of Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).

Featuring an ensemble cast led by Yoo Hae-jin as Eom Heung-do, the titular village warden, and Park Ji-hoon as King Danjong (demoted to Lord Nosan), the film unfolds around a 15th-century power struggle. Some moviegoers have found profound parallels between the film’s themes and the abysmal and botched declaration of martial law by former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Dec. 3, 2024.

After King Danjong was overthrown by his uncle, Grand Prince Suyang, the powerful strategist Han Myong-hoe decided to send him into exile to Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, expecting the former king to commit suicide. The film’s success has been good for tourism in the region, especially major filming sites such as Cheongnyeongpo and King Danjong’s tomb. Approximately 26,000 people visited Yeongwol during the March 1 holiday weekend, and a cumulative 120,000 tourists have visited the region so far this year.

The film does not focus on the bloodthirsty power struggles between political families, which includes the death of six martyrs that tried to reinstate King Danjong. (Some political historians view the death of Danjong and the six martyrs as a turning point for the Joseon Dynasty, as court conflict became a matter of political survival rather than governance.) Rather, the film's director Jang focuses on the unusual friendship between King Danjong, his warden and the local villagers. In particular, the friendship between the demoted king and his warden grows to the point where he later retrieves the king's body for burial.

The National Library of Korea in Seoul's Seocho District has said it will exhibit an official Joseon Dynasty record that shows the court recognizing Eom's loyalty to King Danjong, from March 24 to April 19. The records were part of Yeongwol Eom's "jokbo," or family geneology, entrusted with the library.

Despite the structural incompleteness of the script, I praise the drama for its focus on the warmth of human connection and the courage of the ordinary villagers over the tragic and often bloody politics in the Joseon court.

I was impressed by the notes at the end of the drama, revealing that 242 years after Lord Nosan’s death, he was reinstated as King Danjong and Eom celebrated for his loyalty. I think history will ultimately determine the meaning of political incidents, as people uncover abuses and behind-the-curtain plots, reevaluating them through both historical and contemporary perspectives.

The writer (wkexim@naver.com) is a freelance columnist living in Seoul.