Actor Jung Tae-woo Reflects on His Role as Danjong Amidst 'The Man Who Lives with the King' Success

Actor Jung Tae-woo recently caught attention by mentioning director Jang Hang-jun's film 'The Man Who Lives with the King'.

Jung Tae-woo took to Instagram to share, "The original Danjong... I thoroughly enjoyed watching 'The Man Who Lives with the King'," along with a photo. Previously, Jung had shared a photo of himself as the young Danjong, dressed in a white hanbok and traditional hat, looking directly at the camera.

Jung continued to share numerous photos of himself as Danjong. He reminisced, "I first played Danjong at 12 in 'Han Myeong-hoe' and last at 17 in 'The King and the Queen'. The real Danjong ascended the throne at 12 and was dethroned at 17. In 'Han Myeong-hoe', Danjong was a pitiful and fearful young king who didn't understand why he was being stripped of his throne. In 'The King and the Queen', Danjong was a king who, knowing everything, suffered more and wanted to protect his queen and loved ones."

He added, "Thanks to 'The Man Who Lives with the King', many are interested in the original Danjong and have asked me to share these photos, so here they are."

In the photos, a young Jung Tae-woo is seen wearing a red royal robe and a traditional crown. The intricate embroidery on the shoulders and the dragon motif on the chest are clearly visible as he gazes forward with a composed expression. Another photo captures him in the same attire, teary-eyed and shouting.

Another image features actress Kim Min-jung, who played Danjong's queen, Jeongsun. Jung stands beside Kim, who is dressed in a green jeogori and pink skirt with an elaborate hairpiece, while he wears a red royal robe indoors. The final photo shows Jung in a gray robe and hat standing with Kim, dressed in white hanbok, at a doorway. Both display youthful faces in traditional attire.

Fans commented, "Whether original or now, Danjong seems to be a handsome boy," "I thought of Jung Tae-woo a lot while watching the movie," "When I think of Danjong, I think of Jung Tae-woo first," "Fighting," "Danjong means Jung Tae-woo," "So cute," "He looks just like he did when he was young," "Brings back memories," "He acted so well," "Great chemistry with Kim Min-jung," "I want to watch historical dramas again."

Jung Tae-woo played Danjong twice, first in the 1994 KBS 2TV drama 'Han Myeong-hoe' and again in the 1998 KBS 1TV 'The King and the Queen'. As a result, many viewers associate the image of Danjong with Jung.

Meanwhile, 'The Man Who Lives with the King' has surpassed 8 million viewers as of the 1st. Some predict that the film will soon reach 10 million viewers, especially with the extended weekend and holiday.

The film 'The Man Who Lives with the King' is set in 1457 Cheongnyeongpo and follows the story of village chief Eom Heung-do (played by Yoo Hae-jin), who volunteers for exile to revive the village, and young king Lee Hong-wi (played by Park Ji-hoon), who is exiled after being dethroned.

Im Chae-ryeong, Ten Asia Reporter syjj426@tenasia.co.kr