The movie "The Man Who Lives with the King" has surpassed 13 million cumulative viewers, setting a box office record. Distributor Showbox stated on their official social media, "Thanks to the audience who loved 'The Man Who Lives with the King,' we have surpassed 13 million viewers," adding, "All the viewers who shared this movie are friends of 'The Man Who Lives with the King.'"

According to the Integrated Computerized Ticketing System for movie theaters, "The Man Who Lives with the King" recorded a cumulative audience of 12,989,741 as of March 14. Since its release on February 4, the film has maintained its box office momentum for over a month, consistently attracting double-digit thousands of viewers every weekend. On March 14 alone, 444,286 people visited theaters.

Set in Cheongnyeongpo in 1457, "The Man Who Lives with the King" tells the story of Eom Heung-do, who chose exile to save his village, and the young monarch Danjong, who was dethroned. Yoo Hae-jin plays Eom Heung-do, and Park Ji-hoon portrays Danjong. The cast also includes Yoo Ji-tae, Jeon Mi-do, Lee Joon-hyuk, and Ahn Jae-hong.

With this achievement, director Jang Hang-jun has joined the ranks of directors with films exceeding 10 million viewers for the first time since his debut. Yoo Hae-jin has added his fifth leading role in a 10-million-viewer film, following "The King and the Clown," "Veteran," "A Taxi Driver," and "Pawn."

Interest in director Jang's earnings is also rising. According to the distributor, the break-even point for this film is about 2.6 million viewers. Generally, when a film achieves great success, the director receives a running royalty in addition to the basic directing fee. This is additional compensation paid based on the number of viewers beyond the break-even point, and in the industry, it typically ranges from about 300 to 500 KRW per viewer. Therefore, combining the running royalty and directing fee, director Jang's total earnings could reach several billion KRW. However, specific contract terms and payment methods have not been disclosed.

In a previous interview, director Jang said, "I understand that the box office bonus is still under review by the production company," adding, "It is appropriate to inquire with the production and investment companies for detailed information regarding the contract." In an interview with SBS "News Hunters," he said he did not expect to surpass 10 million viewers. He added, "The reservation rate was not good at the time, and the number of viewers on the opening day was much lower than expected," and "We were very worried with the producer, thinking it would be difficult to even reach the break-even point."

Director Jang explained that the phenomenon of the audience increasing from the second week rather than the first week is called "Gaessaragi" in the film industry. He said, "It is a rare trend that appears about once every ten years." When asked about the pledge for 20 million viewers, he replied, "20 million viewers is realistically difficult and I do not think it is desirable." He emphasized, "There are many films in Korean cinema. It is more important for the entire film industry to do well together rather than one film doing excessively well."

Director Jang added, "Personal success is meaningful, but an environment where fellow filmmakers can smile together is more important." The success of "The Man Who Lives with the King" is expected to have a positive impact on the overall Korean film industry. As the number of viewers continues to increase, the general atmosphere of the film industry is also being revitalized.