Park Ji-hoon Effect: The Man Who Lives with the King Success Sends Weak Hero Back Up Netflix Charts

The explosive box-office run of the historical film The Man Who Lives with the King is doing more than dominating theaters. It is reigniting global interest in Park Ji-hoon’s earlier work, pushing his breakthrough drama Weak Hero back into Netflix’s Top 10 and proving the growing power of the actor’s name.

A career-defining role draws massive attention

Set in 1457 at Cheongnyeongpo, The Man Who Lives with the King follows the story of the young dethroned monarch Danjong and the villagers who accompany him during his exile. The film blends historical imagination with a deeply emotional narrative, and strong word of mouth has fueled its rapid rise at the box office.

Within roughly three weeks of release, the movie surpassed 6.7 million admissions and is now on track toward the 10-million milestone.

Much of the praise is centered on Park Ji-hoon, who plays Danjong. Through restrained dialogue, detailed emotional control, and a powerful gaze, he carries the film’s emotional core and has been widely recognized as a fully established actor rather than an idol making a transition.

Weak Hero resurges on Netflix

As audiences revisit his past performances, attention has naturally returned to Weak Hero, the 2022 Netflix series that first proved his acting range.

In the drama, Park Ji-hoon transformed into Yeon Si-eun, a quiet model student who survives school violence through strategy and psychological strength. The performance revealed a completely different image from his idol background and earned critical acclaim at the time.

Following the film’s success, the series began climbing the streaming rankings again:

• Entered Netflix’s daily Top 10 on February 22
• Rose to No. 3 by February 26

The renewed chart performance clearly reflects the surge of interest in the actor.

One of the original Weak Hero webtoon creators even mentioned the phenomenon on social media, noting that the impact of The Man Who Lives with the King is driving new attention to Yeon Si-eun and cheering for Park Ji-hoon’s continued success.

Film success creates powerful OTT synergy

The simultaneous momentum of the film and the drama highlights a rare and powerful synergy between theaters and streaming platforms. The historical hit is strengthening Park Ji-hoon’s reputation as a serious actor, while the rediscovery of Weak Hero reminds viewers of the depth he has shown since early in his acting career.

With both titles trending at the same time, industry observers are now watching closely to see how long this dual success will continue and how it will shape Park Ji-hoon’s next move as one of the most talked-about young actors in Korean entertainment.