[Focus] Ten Million Viewers Witness 'Pamyo'... Generation Shift Even Among Ten Million Directors

Occult 'Pamyo' Becomes First 10 Million Movie of the Year
610,000 Added Over Weekend, Total 10.2 Million
Young Director Captivates MZ Audience

Exterior view of a movie theater in Seoul
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The film "Pamyoh" has surpassed 10 million viewers this year, marking the first 10-million milestone since "Seoul's Spring" three months ago. According to the Korea Film Council's integrated box office data on the 25th, "Pamyoh" (directed by Jang Jae-hyun) attracted 618,057 viewers over the weekend (22nd-23rd), securing the number one spot at the box office. Its revenue share was 59.0%. The film, released on the 22nd of last month, has accumulated a total audience of 10,209,062.

"Dune Part 2" ranked second with 122,447 viewers, and the animated film "Spy Family the Movie: Code White" gathered 105,171 viewers to take third place. Fourth place went to "Wonka," seen by 33,119 viewers. Fifth was "Bread Barber Shop: Celeb in Bakery Town," followed by "Poor Things" in sixth place.

The First February Film to Reach 10 Million in 20 Years

The film was released in February, traditionally considered an off-season for theaters, yet it attracted 10 million viewers. This is the first time in 20 years since "Taegukgi" (2004) that a film has reached 10 million in February. While mid-sized films released by distributors such as CJ ENM and Plus M Entertainment ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday on February 7th failed to perform well, "Pamyoh," released two weeks later, succeeded alone. It is believed that the film’s hidden "anti-Japanese code," coinciding with the March 1st Independence Movement Day a week after its release, helped sustain public interest.

'Exhumation' stills [Photo by Showbox]

Summer (July-August) and winter (December-January) vacations, as well as the Lunar New Year (January-February) and Chuseok (September) holidays, are traditional peak seasons when major distributors release their tentpole films. However, this has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic. The clustering of releases during these periods led to market saturation and losses, while the increase in options such as online streaming services (OTT) and other leisure activities has made it harder to attract audiences to theaters. As a result, the timing of film releases now requires a different strategic approach.

The Youngest 10 Million Director Born in 1981

Jang Jae-hyun, director of "Pamyoh," born in 1981, has become the youngest director to reach 10 million viewers. He is the youngest since director Lee Byung-hun (born 1980), who directed the 10-million hit "Extreme Job" (2019). This contrasts with the recent underwhelming performances of veteran 10-million directors from Chungmuro such as Kim Yong-hwa, Kim Han-min, and Choi Dong-hoon (born between 1969 and 1971), whose latest works have been met with disappointment.

After completing his military service, Jang began studying film at university at age 25. He gained attention with his graduation short film "The 12th Assistant Priest" (2007), which led to his commercial debut with "The Priests" (2015). Following "Svaha: The Sixth Finger" (2019), "Pamyoh" continues his distinctive and captivating exploration of the occult genre.

Director Jang Jae-hyun Photo by Yonhap News

The "10 million director" has also grown younger. As the audience returning to theaters post-pandemic has become younger, having a youthful sensibility as a director has become crucial. If a film fails to captivate the MZ generation (those born from the early 1980s to early 2000s) early on, its box office success is uncertain. Particularly, word-of-mouth among the Z generation (Zen-G, born from the mid-1990s to early 2000s), who actively use social media and lead online trends, is considered a key driver for sustained success.

"Pamyoh" precisely targeted this demographic. It cleverly understood what MZ generation viewers want. By prominently featuring the line "Something dangerous has come out," it piqued curiosity, and in the latter part of the film, it delivered a clear message that satisfied audiences. It is a well-made commercial film that succeeded in theaters. Marketing also played a role. Actor Choi Min-sik, aged 61, appeared on variety shows sharing his story, and during theater stage greetings, he wore various headbands, sparking a "Hal-kkul" (grandfather styling) craze that generated memes online. This helped maintain ongoing interest in the film.

Yoo Hae-jin (left) and Choi Min-sik during the stage greeting
[Photo by Showbox]

The era of 200 million theatergoers post-pandemic has ended. Some said "interest in theaters has disappeared," others claimed "Korean films have lost trust," or that people "no longer watch movies in theaters," turning instead to dramas and OTT platforms. Following "Seoul's Spring," "Pamyoh" has become another 10-million film. Within just three months, another 10 million people went to theaters to watch a movie. This clearly demonstrates the saying, "audiences recognize good films." It holds significant implications for future theatrical film planning in many ways.