The movie "The Man Who Lives with the King" surpassed 4 million viewers on its 15th day since release. According to the Korea Film Council's integrated ticketing system on the 18th, "The Man Who Lives with the King" recorded a cumulative audience of 4,002,184 as of that afternoon. Distributor Showbox stated that the film's speed of success is "faster than 'The King and the Clown,' which was the first historical drama to attract 10 million viewers and caused a phenomenon." Additionally, it surpassed the time it took for "Zombie Daughter," the overall box office leader of Korean films in 2025, to reach 4 million viewers.

"The Man Who Lives with the King" is based on the history of Joseon's Danjong and the real figure Eom Heung-do, who recovered his body. The film tells the story of a village chief who voluntarily exiled himself to Cheongnyeongpo in 1457 to revive the village and the young dethroned king. Directed by Jang Hang-joon, it stars Yoo Hae-jin, Park Ji-hoon, Yoo Ji-tae, and Jeon Mi-do.

The film succeeded in drawing a large audience during the Lunar New Year holiday, rapidly increasing its viewer count. "The Man Who Lives with the King" maintained the number one spot in the daily overall box office for six consecutive days after its release, establishing itself as the highest-grossing film of 2026. Audiences left various positive reviews such as, "The acting is great, the narrative is good, everything is perfect," "I watched it again with my parents and laughed and cried even though I knew the scenes," and "Yoo Hae-jin's acting is outstanding, needless to say."

Word of mouth among viewers is positively influencing the film's success. In particular, the response that "It felt like I was looking into the heart of Danjong, who was only thought of as a historical figure," emphasizes the film's profound narrative.

"The Man Who Lives with the King" is currently being screened nationwide to great acclaim. The film's box office momentum is expected to continue. Through this movie, audiences experience the complex emotions of historical figures and gain an opportunity to view their stories from a new perspective.