The movie "The Man Who Lives with the King" surpassed 10 million cumulative viewers as of 6:30 PM on the 6th, its 31st day since release. Distributor Showbox officially announced this fact. With this, "The Man Who Lives with the King" became the 34th film in the history of domestic releases to reach 10 million viewers.

It is the first time in two years that a film has attracted 10 million viewers amid an overall decline in domestic theater attendance. Last year, no film reached 10 million viewers, while in 2024, "Excavation" and "Crime City 4" each surpassed the 10 million mark with 11.91 million and 11.5 million viewers respectively. Last year, Disney's animation "Zootopia 2" attracted 7.7 million viewers, topping the box office.

"The Man Who Lives with the King" tells the story of the dethroned Danjong Lee Hong-wi spending his final days in the village of Gwangcheon Valley, Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, where he was exiled. The village chief, Eom Heung-do, who is responsible for protecting and monitoring the exile, forms a bond with Lee Hong-wi, delivering a moving story that spans generations. In addition to lead actors Yoo Hae-jin and Park Ji-hoon, Yoo Ji-tae and Jeon Mi-do received praise from audiences for their outstanding performances.

The film surpassed 1 million viewers on its 5th day, 2 million on the 12th day, 3 million on Lunar New Year's Day, the 14th day, and 4 million on the 15th day. On Independence Movement Day, about 817,000 people watched the film, marking the highest daily attendance since its release.

This is the fourth historical drama film to attract 10 million viewers, following "The King and the Clown" (2005), "Masquerade" (2012), and "The Admiral: Roaring Currents" (2014). Director Jang Hang-jun said before surpassing 10 million viewers, "I am happy and cautious about a situation I never imagined." He expressed gratitude for the many congratulatory messages he received.

"The Man Who Lives with the King" had previously surpassed 9 million viewers 27 days after its release. On the 6th, it reached 10 million viewers in 32 days, becoming the first Korean film in 22 months to achieve this milestone. It is the 34th domestic release to exceed 10 million viewers and the 25th Korean film to do so.

It has been 18 years since a historical drama film reached 10 million viewers, the last being "The King and the Clown" in 2005. This achievement is expected to have a positive impact on the domestic film industry as it marks the reopening of the "10 million era" for Korean films after about two years. Recently, Korean cinema has experienced a prolonged slump due to economic recession, the rise of online video services (OTT), and the influence of foreign films and Japanese animation.

Director Jang Hang-jun, who debuted in 2002 with "Turn on the Lighter," has entered the list of directors with 10 million viewers after 24 years. Yoo Hae-jin now has five 10 million viewer films, including "The King and the Clown," "Veteran," "A Taxi Driver," and "Excavation." Yoo Ji-tae earned his first 10 million viewer film honor since his debut in 1998, and Park Ji-hoon became a 10 million viewer actor with his film debut.

Typically, the highest audience numbers occur during the opening weekend and then decline, but "The Man Who Lives with the King" has seen weekend attendance continue to rise. This trend suggests that the film's box office momentum is likely to continue even after surpassing 10 million viewers.

"The Man Who Lives with the King" is a touching story suitable for the whole family, dominating the domestic box office during the Lunar New Year and Independence Movement Day holidays. The film brought laughter and tears to audiences, leaving a deep impression.