As the film “The King’s Warden” nears the milestone of 10 million viewers, its box-office success is spilling over into bookstores, significantly boosting sales of books related to the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).

According to Kyobo Book Centre on Wednedsay, sales of books with the keyword “Annals of the Joseon Dynasty” between Feb. 4 — the film’s official release date — and March 2 nearly tripled, rising 2.9 times compared with the period before the movie’s release.

Sales also increased 2.1 times compared with the same period last year, which the bookstore said indicates the film’s popularity has influenced book sales.

The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, called the Joseon Wangjo Sillok in Korean, documents 472 years of the overall history and culture of Joseon, from the reigns of King Taejo (r. 1392-1408) through King Cheoljong (r. 1849-64). The annals provide significant information on the daily life of Joseon, spanning the likes of politics, social system, law, arts, religion and transportation.

Among related titles, explanatory books on the annals, including one written by star history lecturer Seol Min-seok and other single-volume guides to the chronicles, ranked among the top sellers.

Within author Lee Deok-il’s multivolume series on the annals, the volume covering King Sejong, King Munjong and King Danjong — key figures connected to the film’s storyline — has drawn particular attention.

Meanwhile, “The Tragic History of Danjong” (1930), a novel by Yi Kwang-su (1892-1950) centered on King Danjong, is being republished by multiple publishers. The historical novel was originally serialized in the DongA Ilbo from 1928 to 1929, and its copyright has expired as more than 70 years have passed since the author’s death.

Following the film’s release, publisher Saeum issued a new edition of “The Tragic History of Danjong,” while other publishers Yolimwon and The Story are also taking preorders ahead of their upcoming editions.

As of Tuesday, the Saeum edition of “The Tragic History of Danjong” ranked No. 22 on Kyobo Book Centre’s daily fiction bestseller list, rising 14 spots from the previous day.


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]