Seo Jungyeon, the Korean artist who painted the poster of the box office hit film “The King’s Warden” was in the country recently.

Seo Jungyeon is a Jinchaehwa artist, one that uses Korean style true color painting technique. 

She was commissioned to do the royal portrait for “The King’s Warden” when it reached five million moviegoers in South Korea.

In an interview with Manila Bulletin Entertainment, Seo Jungyeon talked about how she got involved in making the film poster and her workshop in the country. 

“I was invited to collaborate on the project after the production team saw my work on social media, through a recommendation from another artist. They felt that my contemporary reinterpretation of traditional Korean painting suited with the atmosphere of the film, and that connection led to the poster commission.”

In making the film poster, Seo Jungyeon said she focused on human emotions. 

“To me, painting a person is not simply about representing an outward form, but about capturing the subject’s inner world and the atmosphere of their time,” she said. 

She added, “For this poster, I focused on the human emotions unsettled within a historical moment. I wanted to convey the loneliness and sense of loss felt by the young King Lee Hongwi, as well as the complex emotions of Eom Heungdo as he watches over him.”

“The King’s Warden” has reached more than 16 million moviegoers and is now the second most watched film of all time in South Korea. 

The film stars singer and actor Park Ji-hoon, Yoo Hae-jin, Yoo Ji-tae, Jeon Mi-do, Lee Joon-hyuk, and Ahn Jae-hong.

Korean artist Seo Jungyeon who made the painted poster for the hit Korean film "The King's Warden" (Photo provided by KCC Philippines)

"The King's Warden" stars Park Ji-hoon (left) and Yoo Hae-jin (Showbox)

The painted poster for "The King's Warden" by Korean artist Seo Jungyeon showing stars Park Ji-hoon (left) and Yoo Hae-jin (Showbox)

Korean artist Seo Jungyeon with participants at the “King’s Robe: Traditional Painting Workshop” held on April 17 at the Korean Cultural Center (KCC) in the Philippines (Photo: KCC Philippines)

Korean artist Seo Jungyeon (second from left) with participants at the “King’s Robe: Traditional Painting Workshop” held on April 17 at the Korean Cultural Center (KCC) in the Philippines (Photo: KCC Philippines)

Korean artist Seo Jungyeon with participants at the “King’s Robe: Traditional Painting Workshop” held on April 17 at the Korean Cultural Center (KCC) in the Philippines (Photo: KCC Philippines)

Seo Jungyeon is grateful that through her poster, she became part of the most successful film in Korea this year. 

‘I feel deeply grateful. A poster is often the first image through which audiences encounter a film, so I see it as a kind of visual introduction. If my work helped spark curiosity or create an emotional connection, even in a small way, I feel honored to have contributed to the film’s success,” she said.

Her love for painting can be traced to her love for drawing when she was young. 

“I loved drawing from an early age, and whatever else I was doing in life, I never let it go. In the end, I chose to make it my life’s work, and I feel very fortunate to be living as an artist today,” she said. 

A big influence are the works of court painters during the Joseon Dynasty. 

“Rather than looking to one specific artist as a model, I have been most deeply influenced by the court painters of the Joseon Dynasty. What continues to move me is their ability to bring together formal precision and inner spirit within a single image,” she said. 

Conducting a workshop in the Philippines came with huge goal.

“The goal of this workshop is to give participants a direct experience of traditional Korean painting. By working with silk and traditional pigments themselves, I hope they can understand not only the process of jinchae painting, but also its distinctive sensibility,” she said. 

She added, “More than simply learning a technique, I want them to experience the time, patience, concentration, and care that go into building a painting layer by layer. At the same time, I hope the workshop becomes an opportunity to recognize that tradition is not something distant or fixed in the past, but something that can be reinterpreted through a contemporary perspective. Through that process, I also hope our two cultures can come to understand one another more deeply and grow closer.”

"The King's Warden" star Park Ji-hoon (Showbox)

"The King's Warden" stars Park Ji-hoon (left) and Yoo Hae-jin (Showbox)

"The King's Warden" star Yoo Hae-jin (Showbox)

"The King's Warden" stars Park Ji-hoon (left) and Yoo Hae-jin (Showbox)