Record-Breaking ‘King and the Man’ Surpasses 14.75 Million Viewers: What Makes It a Must-See?

Still from ‘The Man Who Lives with the King’ / Photo: Courtesy of Showbox

[Sports Today reporter Lim Si-ryeong] ‘The Man Who Lives with the King’ has surged to third place on the all-time box office chart and has become the highest-grossing Korean film in history. Its momentum shows no sign of slowing as it approaches 15 million admissions.

On March 23, the Korean Integrated Box Office System reported that ‘The Man Who Lives with the King’ (directed by Jang Hang-jun; produced by Onda Works and BA Entertainment) drew roughly 803,000 viewers over the weekend of March 20–22, retaining the No. 1 spot. That pushed its cumulative audience past 14.75 million, vaulting it into third on the all-time list.

The film has been rewriting records steadily. It became the 34th Korean film to surpass 10 million admissions on March 6 and has since overtaken global blockbusters such as Avatar, Frozen II and Avengers: Endgame. The run continued as it passed 14 million on March 20 and quickly eclipsed the totals for International Market (14.25 million) and Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds (14.41 million).

‘The Man Who Lives with the King’ now sits behind The Admiral: Roaring Currents (17.61 million) and Extreme Job (16.26 million), ranking third on the all-time box office chart. Its cumulative box office revenue stands at 142.5 billion KRW (approximately $106.9 million), surpassing The Admiral: Roaring Currents at 135.7 billion KRW (approximately $101.8 million) and Extreme Job at 139.6 billion KRW (approximately $104.7 million).

In its seventh week, the film still ranks second in advance ticket share. As of 11 a.m. on March 23, its reservation rate was 23.4% (about 58,000 reserved seats). Industry watchers are now focused on whether it will top 15 million admissions this week.

Producer BA Entertainment wrote on its official social media: \”To the 14.75 million viewers, we offer our sincere thanks. On March 22, 2026, ‘The Man Who Lives with the King’ achieved the miraculous milestone of becoming the highest-grossing film in Korean cinema history. This record belongs entirely to you, the friends of the film.\”

The company added, \”We made this film with the care of preparing a warm, thoughtfully set meal. We only hoped that spirit would reach audiences, but the response has been far greater than we expected and has deeply moved us. Sitting side by side in theaters with strangers—laughing, crying and being moved together—those small but precious shared moments are the very power of cinema we believe in.\”

\”We hope ‘The Man Who Lives with the King’ remains a small comfort and a warm memory during difficult days,\” BA Entertainment continued. \”We sincerely wish those memories and comforts lead to a better today than yesterday, and a better tomorrow than today.\”

[Sports Today reporter Lim Si-ryeong ent@stoo.com]
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