Despite 12 New Releases, Audience Drops Sharply on Liberation Day... Pilot and Alien Rank 1st and 2nd

1.28 Million to 850,000... 30% Decrease Compared to Last Year

A movie theater in Seoul
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The comedy film "Pilot," starring actor Jo Jung-suk, topped the box office on the August 15 Liberation Day holiday. Despite an unusual decrease in audience numbers on the holiday, fierce competition is expected as 12 new releases premiered ahead of this holiday period.

According to the Korea Film Council's integrated ticket sales network on the 16th, "Pilot" (directed by Kim Han-gyeol) attracted 204,705 viewers on the 15th, securing the number one spot at the box office. Its revenue share was 22.7%. Since its release on July 31, the film has recorded a cumulative audience of 3,502,232.

On August 14, the start of the holiday, as many as 12 films were released. Among the new releases, the 7th installment of the American sci-fi horror franchise "Alien," titled "Alien: Romulus" (directed by Fede Alvarez), achieved the best results. The film drew 159,908 viewers, ranking second. "Land of Happiness" (directed by Chu Chang-min), which also premiered on the same day, attracted 134,064 viewers and took third place.

The popular TV series animation film "Love's Hatchuping" captivated children and parents alike. The film gathered 92,529 viewers, placing fourth. Since its release on August 7, it has continued its success with a cumulative audience of 545,886.

The American disaster blockbuster "Twisters" (directed by Jung Isaac) attracted 74,378 viewers, ranking fifth, while the youth film "Victory" (directed by Park Beom-su), starring former Girls' Day member Lee Hye-ri, drew 51,858 viewers and took sixth place. Seventh place went to the animation "Despicable Me 4" (29,094 viewers), eighth to "Inside Out 2" (16,353 viewers), and ninth to "Seventeen Tour 'Follow' Again to Cinema" (11,755 viewers).

The total number of moviegoers on the day was 852,516. Despite the unusual influx of new releases, the audience numbers declined. Compared to last year's Liberation Day holiday attendance of 1,288,713, this represents a decrease of about 30%.