South Korea's cinema industry showed signs of recovery in the first half of this year, with a significant increase in both attendance and revenue compared to the previous year.

Unlike last year, when box office hits were concentrated in the second half, this year saw popular films emerge from the very beginning, including a movie that surpassed the 10 million viewer mark, injecting vitality into the stagnant theater scene.

According to the Korean Box Office Information System (KOBIS), a total of 217 films were released between January and June of this year, a slight decrease from the 240 films released during the same period last year.

However, the number of moviegoers increased significantly, with 37.369 million people recorded for Korean films in the first half of this year.

This is a 74.9% surge compared to the same period last year, which saw 21.363 million viewers.

Revenue also rose by 81.7%, climbing from 203.7 billion won to 370.2 billion won.

Although the number of releases decreased slightly, films that successfully drew large audiences boosted both attendance and revenue figures.

In the first half of last year, only one film, "F1: The Movie," surpassed 5 million viewers (5.21 million), and no film reached the 10 million mark.

In contrast, this year, "The King and the Man" drew 16.9 million viewers, becoming the second highest-grossing film of all time, while "Colony" also exceeded 5 million viewers.

However, the number of films that attracted more than 3 million viewers decreased slightly from four in the first half of last year to three this year.

Film critic Yoon Sung-eun analyzed, "The fact that a 10-million-viewer movie, which seemed impossible, has emerged again is highly significant. While 'The King and the Man' accounts for a substantial portion of the first-half revenue, the birth of such a hit is driving more people to theaters."

She added, "This can be seen as a sign that the cinema industry is recovering, albeit slowly, with investment sentiment among production companies also showing slight improvement."

Some point out that the recovery in the first half of this year appears more pronounced because there were more hits in the second half of last year than in the first.

Film critic Jung Ji-wook explained, "It is true that there were no clear box office hits in the first half of last year. However, given that the theater industry remained depressed throughout last year, the fact that 'The King and the Man' led this recovery is significant in itself."

Attention is now on whether "Hope," set to be released on July 15, will continue the recovery momentum sparked by "The King and the Man."

"Hope" is director Na Hong-jin's first film in 10 years since "The Wailing" (2016) and has been a subject of buzz even before its release, having been invited to the competition section of the 79th Cannes International Film Festival.

The film features a star-studded cast including proven Korean actors such as Hwang Jung-min, Jo In-sung, and Jung Ho-yeon, alongside Hollywood stars Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander. It was pre-sold to over 200 countries before its release, allowing it to recover nearly half of its net production budget early.

Critic Yoon Sung-eun predicted, "The success of 'Hope' is expected to have a decisive impact on the Korean film industry in the second half of the year. As many films have not been able to be released this year due to dampened investment sentiment, the success or failure of a high-profile film like 'Hope' carries significant weight."

(Photo: Yonhap News)