Jang Hang-jun's period drama opened an embassy-hosted festival in Abidjan before going into general release in local theaters Ivorian Culture Minister Francoise Remarck (center left) and Korean Ambassador to Ivory Coast Jang Seo-ik (center right) pose for a photo during the 2026 Korean Film Festival in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Thursday. (Ivorian Ministry of Culture) "The King's Warden," the historical drama that became the highest-grossing Korean film of all time, has premiered in Ivory Coast.The film opened the 2026 Korean Film Festival in Abidjan on Thursday. The Korean Embassy hosted the event to mark 65 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries, the embassy said Monday. Kim Soo-jin's horror film "Noise" also screened.Both titles went on to open in Ivorian theaters through a local distributor, the first Korean period drama and horror film to receive a general release in the country, according to the embassy.Around 500 people attended the festival at the Pathe Cap Sud cinema, including government officials, diplomats and business figures. Ivorian Culture Minister Francoise Remarck, who was present at the event, said she was pleased the film's first African screening took place in Ivory Coast and hoped to see broader cultural exchange between the two countries.Before the screenings, visitors could try on traditional Korean costumes and try their hand at archery. A Hangeul name-writing station, inspired by a scene from the movie where the young king writes villagers' names in the Korean alphabet, was especially popular with attendees, the embassy said.Directed by Jang Hang-jun, "The King's Warden" follows the final months of Danjong, the boy king deposed by his uncle in 1453 and exiled to a mountain village, where he died at 16.The film has sold more than 16.9 million tickets in Korea, trailing only "The Admiral: Roaring Currents" (2014) on the all-time admissions chart, according to Korean Film Council data. Its 156.9 billion won ($106.9 million) gross is the highest ever for a Korean film.