One of Korea’s most oft-told historical tragedies is that of King Danjong (r. 1452-1455), who ascended the throne of Joseon (1392-1910) at just 10, only to be dethroned by his uncle, exiled and killed six years later. The story has been covered countless times across film, television and even musical theater — often portraying the fallen king as a frail, helpless figure.

In his latest film, “The King’s Warden,” director Chang Hang-jun breaks from that tradition, reimagining King Danjong as a strong-willed ruler.


“It was something I kept in mind from the very first stage of writing the script,” said director Chang during a roundtable interview at a cafe in central Seoul on Friday.

“I thought if we were going to portray King Danjong as nothing more than a weak figure, there was simply no need to reproduce the story again.”

Chang stressed that the widely held perception of King Danjong as weak and powerless was “largely shaped by political outcomes” — his young age, dethronement, exile and tragic death — rather than by the king’s true character.

“When I looked into historical records about him, I found descriptions of him as remarkably bright, intelligent and perceptive,” director Chang said. “He was greatly cherished by his grandfather, King Sejong [r. 1418-1450], and dearly loved by his father as well. Court officials at the time also believed he had the potential to become a great king in the future.”

Building on this perspective, the historical period film “The King’s Warden” is set in 1457 — the year King Dangjong dies — and follows Eom Heung-do, the chief of a poverty-stricken rural village, who voluntarily invites a high-ranking exile in hopes of reviving his community. When he later discovers that the exile is in fact the dethroned king, the film centers on the evolving relationship and mutual growth between Eom Heung-do and the exiled monarch.

The film stars veteran actor Yoo Hai-jin as Heung-do, and former boy band Wanna One’s Park Ji-hoon as King Danjong, alongside seasoned actors Yoo Ji-tae and Jeon Mi-do.

King Danjong is not the only figure the director reimagined. Historically, little is known about Eom Heung-do beyond the fact that he recovered King Danjong’s body after it was discarded into the Dong River in Gangwon — disobeying the royal order that threatened execution of anyone who retrieved the body, along with three generations of their family.

Chang said he approached these “gaps in history” with imagination to make Heung-do interesting, but also with caution, given that Heung-do was a real historical figure.

“No matter how remarkable a historical figure may be, they mean nothing to us if we don’t truly know them […] That’s why the character had to be compelling,” he said. “[We tried to create] someone who had a certain humanity we can relate to. Simply put, a character that is grounded, with their feet firmly on the ground.”

Chang also mentioned being unaware of Park's background at the time of casting, namely that he was part of an internationally popular K-pop band, adding that knowing it beforehand might have influenced his decision.

“I actually think it helped that I didn’t know Park from his Wanna One days,” the director said, adding that he first noticed Park in the series “Weak Hero” (2022–25). “I never watched ‘Produce 101’ (2019), so I didn’t have that idol image in mind. If I had, I might perhaps not have been as drawn to him.”

As filming progressed, Chang admitted he gradually became aware of Park’s global fandom — particularly when coffee and snack trucks sent by fans frequently arrived on set. And known for his humor, the director joked that he kept an eye on Park’s Instagram follower count.

“The things I paid the most attention to with Ji-hoon were his acting, his character and his Instagram follower count,” he said, while also praising Park’s performance as something that “speaks for itself.”

Wary of jinxing the film’s box-office success, Chang, who is married to renowned screenwriter Kim Eun-hee — known for penning Netflix’s “Kingdom” (2019–20) and tvN’s “Signal” (2016) — said his wife had not yet seen the film as of the interview, though she offered some encouraging words after visiting the set.

“Toward the end of the shoot [when she visited the set], she told me, ‘I have a strong feeling this will turn out well,’” director Chang said. “It was the first time she’d ever said such a thing.”

Hoping the film can help kick off the year on a positive note, he wished it to serve as a turning point for Korea's film industry.

The historical film “The King’s Warden” is set to hit theaters on Feb. 4.


BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]