Autumn Korean Films Struggle at Box Office... Only Comedy '30 Days' Made Audiences Laugh

Weekend (13-15) Box Office

Profitability Uncertain for Dr. Cheon, Boston, and Others

The comedy film '30 Days' has topped the weekend box office for two consecutive weeks. However, apart from this, all Korean films released this fall have failed to break even, continuing their poor box office performance.

According to the Korea Film Council's integrated ticket sales system on the 16th, over the past weekend (13th-15th), '30 Days' (directed by Nam Dae-jung) attracted 314,611 viewers, securing the number one spot at the box office. Its revenue share was 45.7%. Since its release on the 3rd, it has accumulated a total audience of 1,210,297.

'30th' still photo [Photo by Mindmark]

The break-even point for '30 Days' is 1.6 million viewers. It has consistently held the number one position at the box office since its release, and weekend attendance has increased compared to last week. At this pace, surpassing the break-even point (1.6 million viewers) seems achievable.

'Hwalan' (directed by Kim Chang-hoon), starring actors Song Joong-ki and Hong Sa-bin, which was released on the 11th, started at number two with 87,712 viewers. Its cumulative audience is 166,828.

Last weekend, except for '30 Days,' all Korean films recorded bleak results. Three Korean films were released ahead of Chuseok on the 27th of last month: 'Dr. Cheon’s Exorcism Research Institute: The Secret of the Snowy Landscape' (directed by Kim Sung-sik), '1947 Boston' (directed by Kang Je-gyu), and 'Spider’s Web' (directed by Kim Ji-woon). These were major productions released by large distributors, ambitiously targeting the golden market of the Chuseok holiday. It appears virtually impossible for any of them to surpass their break-even points.

Starring actor Kang Dong-won, 'Dr. Cheon’s Exorcism Research Institute: The Secret of the Snowy Landscape' attracted 58,824 viewers over the weekend, ranking third. Its cumulative audience reached 1,850,361. The break-even point is reported to be 2.4 million viewers. Director Kang Je-gyu’s '1947 Boston' drew 39,865 viewers, placing fourth, with a cumulative audience of 918,999. Its break-even point is 4.5 million viewers.

The dismal Chuseok box office results have shocked the industry. Some film insiders attribute this to market changes, but audiences are saying, "There were no interesting movies," criticizing the quality and outdated planning. Within the industry, voices of self-reflection are emerging, stating, "We should not just blame the rapidly changing market but face the problems squarely," and "Without change, we cannot bring back audiences who have turned away from theaters."

Meanwhile, 'Radiant Her' (directed by Lee Seung-joon), starring actress Uhm Jung-hwa, ranked fifth. The film, released on the 11th, attracted only 37,354 viewers during its first weekend. Sixth place went to 'Puppy Rescue Squad: The Mighty Movie,' seventh to 'Creator,' and eighth to 'The Nun 2.'

The total number of moviegoers visiting theaters over the weekend was 702,184.