Gangwon's Danjong festival draws crowds as film fuels Joseon-era tourism
The South Korean province of Gangwon is ramping up tourism tied to the Joseon era figure Danjong, buoyed by the domestic success of the film The Man Who Lives with the King, which has drawn large crowds to Danjong’s exile site at Cheongnyeongpo and to his tomb at Neungin Jangneung. Yeongwol, where Danjong was exiled and died, announced a new wave of events for the Danjong Cultural Festival, which runs next month from the 24th to the 26th.
The Yeongwol Cultural Foundation says it is adding a program that recreates the bond between Danjong and Queen Shin, including a ceremony portraying their union and Danjong’s entry into Cheongnyeongpo. The festival will also feature a talk on Danjong’s story by director Jang Hang-jun, who directed the film that has boosted interest in this historical episode.
Organizers expect heavy crowds and are coordinating transportation and logistics accordingly. Shuttle buses will operate between major tourist spots, Yeongwol Station, and the intercity bus terminal, while parts of the Donggang riverbank will be converted into temporary parking, reflecting the festival’s scale and the need to manage traffic and crowds.
Attendance for Danjong-related sites has surged since the start of the year. By early January, visits to Danjong’s Neungin Jangneung and Cheongnyeongpo surpassed 110,000, beating last year’s January–June figure of about 100,000 within just two months. The Yeongwol Foundation’s tourism chief, Kim Seong-jin, said the program lineup has been expanded to give visitors a richer sense of Danjong’s life and the loyal ministers who supported him.
Nearby hospitality and theme attractions are joining the marketing push. Tops Ten Resort Donggang City Star is offering a free barbecue for guests who show tickets to Jangneung or Cheongnyeongpo or to see The Man Who Lives with the King. It has also launched a “Yeongwol Ban-sang Package” for two, featuring a meal plan inspired by the film’s depictions, available through next month.
In Taebaek, a separate initiative complements Yeongwol’s effort. Visitors with Jangneung or Cheongnyeongpo tickets can ride the 365 Safe Town Cable Car and use VR facilities free of charge through the end of the year. The municipal government plans to install a storyboard on the second floor of 365 Safe Town describing the idea that Danjong’s body rests at Yeongwol’s Jangneung while his soul has become the mountain god of Taebaeksan. Local officials note Taebaek’s long association with Danjong, including a monument erected in 1955.
Yeongju, in North Gyeongsang Province, has launched a “Ban-ting Tour Taxi” service aimed at tracing the Danjong era’s footprint. The itinerary covers sites tied to Danjong’s supporters who were martyred, the Geumseong Daegun shrine, Sosu Seowon, and Buseoksa temple, with half of the taxi fare subsidized by the city as a boost to heritage tourism and local businesses.
Gunwi County in Daegu is expanding its Danjong-linked offerings as well. From next month, the Gunwi City Tour will include the tomb of Eomhungdo, the figure who recovered Danjong’s body and later hid in the area. Officials have already prepared access routes and signage to promote the tomb as a cultural and historical site, reflecting ongoing efforts to monetize and preserve the Danjong narrative through targeted tours.
Scholars have contributed to these efforts with documentary groundwork. A literature-based investigation by a Korean studies research team, led by Kim Gwang-sun, identified Eomhungdo’s tomb at a site in Gunwi’s Uihyeong area, adding scholarly validation to the tourism push and helping frame local history for both residents and visitors.
Why this matters beyond Korea: the Danjong story is being leveraged as a cultural and historical asset to drive regional tourism, extend the life of a popular film beyond its box office, and support local economies through hospitality, transport, and experience-based offerings. For U.S. readers, the trend illustrates how South Korea’s entertainment industry and historical heritage are interconnected with travel, media, and consumer markets, potentially shaping cultural exports, tourism flows, and cross-border collaboration on heritage conservation and storytelling. It also highlights how regional governments in Korea coordinate festivals, infrastructure, and private partners to monetize history in ways that could inform analogous efforts elsewhere.