Korean Thriller ‘The Assassin(s)’ Passes 1 Million Admissions in Three Days
The historical thriller starring Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il and Lee Min-ho crossed 1.05 million admissions on its third day in South Korean cinemas, extending its run at the top of the box office.
The Korean historical thriller “The Assassin(s)” has surpassed 1 million admissions just three days after opening, giving the film an early commercial milestone in South Korea’s cinema market.
Distributor Hive Media Corp. said the movie had accumulated 1.05 million admissions as of Saturday morning. It was released on Wednesday and reached the seven-figure mark within its first three days in theaters.
The film also ranked first at the South Korean box office for a third consecutive day on Friday. That sustained daily lead, followed by Saturday morning’s admissions total, indicates that the movie maintained its opening momentum through the start of the weekend.
“The Assassin(s)” brings together Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il and Lee Min-ho in its principal cast. Its rapid admissions growth has provided an early measure of the film’s theatrical reception, with more than 1 million tickets recorded before the end of its first Saturday in cinemas.
Hur Jin-ho directed the historical thriller. Its story draws inspiration from the 1974 assassination attempt on then President Park Chung-hee, an attack that resulted in the death of South Korea’s first lady. The shooting remains one of the most shocking episodes in the country’s turbulent modern history.
By using that event as its historical point of departure, the film connects a new theatrical release with a period that continues to carry strong significance in South Korea. Its premise therefore combines the conventions of a thriller with subject matter rooted in the nation’s political past.
The admissions milestone is notable for both its scale and speed. Crossing 1 million admissions is a major benchmark for a domestic theatrical release, and doing so on the third day means the film entered the weekend with a substantial audience already recorded. Its three straight days at No. 1 further show that the total was built through continued box-office leadership rather than a single opening-day surge.
The next stage of the film’s run will show whether that early pace can continue beyond its initial release window. For now, “The Assassin(s)” holds the leading position at the South Korean box office, backed by a three-day run at No. 1 and an admissions total that had already reached 1.05 million by Saturday morning.