ASHFALL Erupts in Powerful Opening

As a pair of major local titles entered the charts, business shot up 75% week-on-week as 3.6 million admissions were registered during the penultimate weekend of the year. Korean films improved greatly on the charts, with the local share rising from 7 to 84%. ...

Stranger Than Fiction: Politics & History Inspire Cinema

The Korean box office has had a rocky ride through the first two trimesters of 2017, but this period was not without its success stories. Though controversies and an uneven slate of films presented some obstacles, Korean history remained a strong driver for pr...

Review of the first three quarters for 2016

After a few years of major growth at the beginning of the decade, the Korean box office has remained flat once again, with this year’s total to date staying at the same level as 2015. However, where gains have been made is in the local industry, which has chur...

A VIOLENT PROSECUTOR Scores Best-Ever Lunar New Year Launch

Star Power Drives Thriller to 2nd All Time Opening Week After a slow January, viewers once again packed into theatres over the 5-day Lunar New Year weekend, purchasing 3.16 million tickets, 77% of which for local titles. While the figure was 50% higher than t...

THE PRIESTS Conjures up Impressive Debut

Exorcism thriller The Priests scared up a higher than expected debut over the weekend, boosting overall business during the traditional dumping grounds of the year. 2.28 million viewers were recorded in theaters over the frame, 72% of which for local fare. Wi...

THE THRONE Takes Its Place Atop the Chart

Business Picks Up Ahead of Chuseok Holiday One of the major Chuseok holiday releases this year, The Throne drove up attendance over the weekend during its debut, pushing admissions back to 2.63 million. It also put Korean films back on top as local fare accou...

ANT-MAN Still Tops in Week 2

Ant-Man stayed in pole position during a quiet weekend that welcomed 1.73 million viewers to theaters, as Veteran continued its assent up the all-time chart, now ranking seventh. Though Hollywood claimed the top spot, Korean films held a slightly higher market...

ANT-MAN Outsizes VETERAN

Hollywood Back on Top After four weeks on top, Veteran finally made way for a new entry as Marvels’ Ant-Man brought Hollywood back into the game following a period of local dominance. Business was up marginally over the frame, as 2.56 million spectators shuf...

VETERAN Fourpeats, Enters 10 Million Club

In a rare sweep, local films held the top five spots at the Korean box office, clinching 85% of the market in a weekend that attracted 2.54 million filmgoers. Sustained strong performances by Korean films in August have put domestic fare back over Hollywood fo...

VETERAN Stays Newcomers in Round 3

Korean Films Lord Over Marketplace During the last weekend of the summer holiday period in Korea, local films retained the advantage with a commanding 81% of the marketplace, as the top three entries were homebred, while overall admissions stood at 3.14 millio...