'The King's Warden' Leads a Box Office Boom: Can 'HOPE' Keep the Momentum Going?

The South Korean box office saw a significant surge in attendance during the first half of this year compared to the same period last year. Hits such as "Once We Were Us", "The King's Warden", "Salmokji: Whispering Water", and "COLONY" have driven a substantial increase in both ticket sales and revenue.

According to the Korean Film Council's integrated computer network for movie theater tickets, the number of moviegoers for Korean films from January to June reached approximately 37.369 million, a 74.9% jump from the 21.363 million recorded during the same period last year. Revenue also rose by 81.7% year-on-year, totaling 370.2 billion KRW.

Although the total number of films released was 217, a slight decrease from the 240 films released last year, these results were achieved thanks to several major hits that led the market.

In fact, while only one film surpassed 5 million viewers in the first half of last year—"F1: The Movie" with 5.21 million—this year, "The King's Warden" garnered a massive 16.9 million viewers based on strong word-of-mouth, becoming the second highest-grossing Korean film of all time. It was followed by director Yeon Sang-ho's zombie blockbuster "COLONY", which successfully kept the momentum going by surpassing 5 million viewers.

Attention is now focused on whether the revival of the box office in the first half will continue into the second half. The frontrunner expected to lead this charge is director Na Hong-jin's "HOPE", set to be released on the 15th. The film is a massive project with a production budget nearing 70 billion KRW, featuring top Korean actors such as Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, and Jung Hoyeon, alongside Hollywood stars Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander.

Before its release, the film was invited to the competition section of the Cannes Film Festival, where it received acclaim from international critics and media. The high expectations of audiences have already been proven, as it ranked first in both pre-sale rates and ticket volume 10 days before its release.

Following the first distribution of 6,000 KRW movie discount coupons in May, the government and the Korean Film Council began distributing an additional 2.05 million coupons starting today (the 8th). In the week immediately following the first distribution, revenue reached 15.9 billion KRW, a 47.9% increase from the 10.7 billion KRW recorded in the week prior. Given that the second round of discount coupons is being released in July, the peak season for theaters, it is expected to bring tremendous vitality to the summer box office.

Starting with "HOPE", a series of films including "Moana", "Minions & Monsters", "Spider-Man: Brand New Day", and "Odyssey" are scheduled for release throughout July and August. These films also carry the strength of their own established brands. Combined with the effect of the discount coupons, the box office this summer is expected to see a major boom. 

(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)