Cover of <Annals of the Joseon Dynasty by Seol Min-seok>.

The popularity of the film <The Man Who Lives With the King> by director Jang Hang-jun, which is expected to surpass 10 million viewers this weekend, is extending to bookstores. To read the real story of Danjong shown in the film, more readers are seeking books related to the ‘Annals of the Joseon Dynasty’, and reissues of the old novel <Tragic Tale of Danjong> are also appearing.

According to Kyobo Bookstore on the 4th, during roughly one month from the 4th of last month to the 2nd of this month, sales of books using the keyword ‘Annals of the Joseon Dynasty’ rose 2.9 times compared with the period before the release of <The Man Who Lives With the King>. Kyobo Bookstore explained that they also increased 2.1 times compared with the same period last year, suggesting the film affected sales.

Looking at sales rankings by title, general interest books covering a comprehensive history of the Joseon Dynasty and the period of ‘Danjong’ drew attention. <Seol Min-seok Annals of the Joseon Dynasty> (Seol Min-seok), <Annals of the Joseon Dynasty in One Volume> (Park Young-gyu), <Annals of the Joseon Dynasty Told by the King> (Jo Ara), and <Annals of the Joseon Dynasty by Park Si-baek> (Park Si-baek) ranked near the top. Among the multi-volume <Annals of the Joseon Dynasty> by Lee Deok-il, the volume ‘Sejong Munjong Danjong’ drew the most attention.

Publication of Yi Kwang-su (1892∼1950) novel <Tragic Tale of Danjong>, which features Danjong as protagonist, also stands out. <Tragic Tale of Danjong>, serialized in the Dong-A Ilbo in 1928∼1929, is now in the public domain, as 70 years have passed since the author died.

After the film opened, Saeum released a new edition of <Tragic Tale of Danjong> last month, and Yeollimwon and The Story are also taking preorders ahead of publication. As of the 3rd, the Saeum edition that came out first ranked 22nd in Kyobo Bookstore daily best novel category, up 14 places from the previous day.