Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province will conduct a safety inspection at Cheongnyeongpo in Yeongwol as tourists flock to the site following the box office success of the film "The Man Who Lives with the King."
The provincial government announced Wednesday it will carry out a "special safety inspection" of ferry operations at Cheongnyeongpo pier. The inspection aims to assess ferry operations and safety management amid the surge in visitors.
Cheongnyeongpo, where King Danjong, the sixth king of the Joseon Dynasty, lived in exile, has seen a sharp increase in visitors since the film's release. During this year's Lunar New Year holiday from Feb. 14-17, the site recorded 10,641 visitors, more than five times the 2,006 visitors during last year's holiday period from Jan. 25-30.
Visits to Jangneung, King Danjong's tomb, also surged. The royal tomb drew 7,275 visitors during the Lunar New Year holiday, roughly seven times the 1,083 visitors recorded in the same period last year.
Tourist traffic continued through the March 1st Independence Movement Day holiday from Feb. 28 to March 2, with approximately 14,800 visitors recorded. Two ferries operated continuously to transport tourists from the pier.
Cheongnyeongpo is surrounded by cliffs and a river, requiring visitors to use county-operated ferries. Wait times have exceeded two hours during peak periods, and ticket sales have been cut short on some days due to crowd management concerns.
Provincial and county officials will inspect life-saving equipment, safety gear, and compliance with passenger capacity limits. Violations will result in administrative measures including improvement orders under the Ferry Business Act.
"We will do our best to ensure visitors to tourist sites in the province can create safe memories through swift preemptive responses to disaster risk factors," said Kim Joo-hwan, head of the provincial Social Disaster Division.
According to the Korean Film Council's box office data, "The Man Who Lives with the King" drew 180,463 viewers nationwide on Wednesday, ranking first at the box office. Cumulative attendance reached 9.78 million.
If the film surpasses 10 million viewers, it will become the 34th film in Korean box office history and the 25th Korean film to reach the milestone. The most recent film to cross the threshold was "Exhuma," released in 2024.
