Long Lines for the Cheongnyeongpo Ferry and Traffic Jams Across Yeongwol
"Danjong Fever" Spreads as "The King and the Clown" Becomes a Box Office Hit
Gangwon Province's Yeongwol is experiencing an unexpected "Danjong fever" following the box office success of the movie "A Man Living with the King." Cheongryeongpo, the place of Danjong's exile and the main setting of the film, is now bustling daily with visitors eager to experience the lingering emotions from the movie firsthand.
Visitors' footsteps continue endlessly toward Cheongnyeongpo in Yeongwol. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
According to Yeongwol County and social networking services (SNS) on March 2, the area around the Cheongryeongpo ticket office, which used to be relatively quiet, has seen a dramatic change in atmosphere since the film's release. Due to the area's unique geography-surrounded by Yukyukbong and the river-entry is only possible via a county-operated ferry. Recently, many visitors have had to wait over two hours just to board.
The excitement has extended to transportation as well. Seats on weekend trains to Yeongwol are selling out early, and traffic congestion is occurring on roads near Cheongryeongpo and Jangneung. Locals and visitors alike note that the scene is markedly different from before the movie's release.
Visitors waiting in a long line to board the ferry at Cheongnyeongpo in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, the place of exile for Danjong, following the box office success of the movie "The King and the Man Who Lives." X
Online, posts describing the atmosphere at the site are spreading rapidly. One visitor wrote, "I arrived early on a weekend morning, but there were so many people that I let one ferry go by," and added, "I wanted to feel the solitude from the movie, but in reality, I was just swept along by the crowd." Another user commented, "The line was so long that I gave up on visiting altogether."
In contrast, posts sharing past experiences also stand out. Reactions such as "When I visited a few years ago, it was quiet, but now it's completely different," and "I used to walk leisurely through the pine forest path, but it's hard to believe how much it's changed," highlight the transformation in atmosphere.
A promotional poster for the movie "The Man Who Lived with the King" is displayed at a cinema in Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
This surge in interest is seen as a direct result of the movie "A Man Living with the King" drawing attention to Danjong's life in exile and inspiring people to visit the actual locations. In particular, the royal residence where Danjong stayed and the dense pine forest depicted in the film have left a strong impression, creating a "pilgrimage" atmosphere among fans.
With the number of tourists surging, Yeongwol County has taken action. They have deployed guides throughout the area and are focusing on securing additional parking and managing traffic flow, but congestion has yet to be completely resolved. The county is also considering ways to disperse visitors to other nearby historic sites such as Jangneung.
The local community hopes this boom will not be a fleeting trend but rather an opportunity to re-examine Yeongwol's historical significance. However, there are also calls to supplement tourism infrastructure-including transportation, parking, and accommodation-to adequately and safely accommodate the soaring demand.
Meanwhile, according to distributor Showbox on March 2, "A Man Living with the King" surpassed 9 million cumulative viewers just 27 days after its release and is on the verge of reaching 10 million. If it surpasses 10 million, it will become the first film in two years to do so since "Exhuma" and "The Roundup: Punishment" in 2024.
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