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...

VIP Squeezes Narrow Victory in Late Summer Opening

With summer coming to an end and the humid heat making way for cooler breezes, cinemas saw a 30% dip in business as one new local release led a string of strong Korean holdovers, giving the domestic industry a commanding 80% advantage in the market. Unseating ...

SPLIT Unseats NEW TRIAL in Debut

Multiplexes welcomed a large amount of new releases this past weekend but with several titles dead on arrival business experienced a slight dip with 2.1 million entries recorded. Despite losing control of the top spot, local films still made up a hefty portion...

NEW TRIAL Extends Streak of Local Chart-Toppers

A new Korean film topped the chart in a weekend that was almost level with the previous week, as two thirds of tickets sold once again went to local fare, out of a total 2.22 million sold. Court drama New Trial, with KANG Ha-neul and JUNG Woo, from OPUS Pictur...

A Good Enough Year, but the Best Year for Korean Films

Box Office Report of 2016 After five years of consecutive growth, the Korean film industry remained healthy in 2016, though the half-decade streak of gains came to an end as the industry essentially remained flat. Admissions reached 217.02 million, which was d...