"Seven Similarities Alleged": Box Office Hit "The King and the Man Who Lives" Faces Sudden Plagiarism Claims... Production Company Denies All

Production Company: "We Did Not Refer to or Encounter Any Other Works"

The movie "The King and the Man Who Lives," which is on the verge of surpassing 12 million viewers, has been embroiled in plagiarism allegations. Claims have been raised that its main setting and narrative structure are similar to those of a drama script written in the past. However, the film's production company has countered, stating, "We did not refer to or encounter any other works during the planning or production process."

Still cut from the movie 'A Man Who Lives with the King'. Showbox

According to MBN on March 9, the family of Eom, a stage actor who passed away in 2019, sent a certified letter to the film's production company requesting the disclosure of the script's origins for "The King and the Man Who Lives." Eom, known to be the 31st-generation descendant of Eom Heungdo, reportedly drafted an original script titled "Eom Heungdo" in the 2000s with the intention of producing a drama. Although the script was submitted to a broadcaster at the time, it was never actually produced.

"Seven Similarities Including Relationship Settings Between Danjong and Eom Heungdo"

The family identified a total of seven similarities: ▲A scene in which Danjong expresses satisfaction while dining at the suggestion of Eom Heungdo ▲A plot where Eom Heungdo relays Danjong's words to the villager in charge of food ▲The process of Danjong opening up after initially refusing food ▲A scenario in which Eom Heungdo rescues Danjong as he attempts to jump off a cliff ▲The development where Eom Heungdo's son is taken to the local government office ▲A deviation from historical fact by combining Danjong's court lady into a single character named "Maehwa" ▲The adaptation of Eom Heungdo's children, who were actually three sons, into an only son in the story.

The family reportedly sent the certified letter to the production company, demanding that if Eom is confirmed as the original author, his name be credited in the work, and requesting an explanation regarding the creation process and sources for the script.

Still cut from the movie 'The Man Living with the King'. Showbox

Production Company Denies Reference to Other Works

The production company has categorically denied the plagiarism allegations. They asserted, "There is a clear original author for this movie," and emphasized, "At no point during the planning and production process did we refer to or encounter the work in question."

"The King and the Man Who Lives" is set in Cheongnyeongpo in 1457 and tells the story of a village chief who volunteers for exile to revive his village, and the young dethroned King Danjong, who was exiled. The film was released on February 4 and, as of March 9, has attracted a cumulative audience of 11.5 million viewers.This is a faster pace than both "12.12: The Day" (2023), which took 36 days to reach 11 million viewers, and "Exhuma" (2024), which took 40 days, and matches the box office pace of the previous 10-million-viewer film "The Roundup: Punishment."

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