Yoo Hae-jin Returns with 'The Man Who Lives with the King'... Character Still of the Humanistic 'Eom Heung-do' Released

Actor Yoo Hae-jin comes to the audience with a new character inspired by a historical figure. The film 〈The Man Who Lives with the King〉, the first Korean film to deal with King Danjong's exile, has released the first character still of Yoo Hae-jin transformed into the village chief 'Eom Heung-do', raising expectations.

The film 〈The Man Who Lives with the King〉 is set in 1457 at Cheongnyeongpo, depicting the story of village chief Eom Heung-do, who voluntarily takes on exile for the revival of the village, and the young former king Lee Hong-wi (Park Ji-hoon), who has been ousted from the throne and comes down to a mountain village. Yoo Hae-jin's character Eom Heung-do is a poor village chief who has to worry about every meal, and upon hearing news of a neighboring village thriving due to an exiled nobleman, he takes action to make Gwangcheon-gol his place of exile.

In the released character still, Yoo Hae-jin exudes his unique humanistic charm, whether he is peeling radishes with a rough gun or making comical expressions. In the film, Eom Heung-do plays the role of a 'guardian' who watches over every move of Lee Hong-wi, who has come to the village as planned, but as time passes, he gradually opens his heart to the young king, showing a multidimensional aspect of his character. Yoo Hae-jin's deep pathos is expected to evoke both laughter and tears, anchoring the narrative.

Yoo Hae-jin shared that he spent time traveling around Yeongwol, the filming location, deeply reflecting on the feelings that Eom Heung-do and Lee Hong-wi must have felt at the time for this role. He expressed his thoughts on acting, focusing on conveying the true feelings of Eom Heung-do as he changes through his interactions with Lee Hong-wi. Director Jang Hang-jun also mentioned that he thought of Yoo Hae-jin for the role of Eom Heung-do from the planning stage, revealing his strong trust in his natural acting ability.

The film 〈The Man Who Lives with the King〉, which will fill the blank pages that history could not record with Yoo Hae-jin's sincere performance, is set to be released on February 4, 2026. The fresh combination of Yoo Hae-jin and Park Ji-hoon is already drawing attention in the film industry for the heavy aftertaste it will create.