‘The Assassin(s)’ Rises to No. 4 Among 2026 Korean Films at the Box Office, Buoyed by Praise at Home and Abroad

The film 〈The Assassin(s)〉, directed by Hur Jin-ho, has topped the Korean-film box office for 19 consecutive days, rising to fourth place among Korean films released in 2026. Hive Media Corp., which produced and distributed the film, said on the 20th that it had drawn a cumulative 3,241,497 moviegoers as of 4:45 p.m. on the 18th, according to the Korean Film Council's integrated box-office data.

Released on September 23, 〈The Assassin(s)〉 passed 3 million admissions 20 days after opening and has continued to draw audiences, climbing the box-office rankings for this year's releases. The thriller follows detective Cheol-gu (Yoo Hae-jin), social affairs editor Jae-hwan (Park Hae-il) and rookie reporter Yeong-il (Lee Min-ho) as they investigate the forces behind and the truth of the shooting of the first lady at an August 15, 1974, Liberation Day ceremony. It has won over audiences.

Strong word of mouth at home and abroad has helped sustain the film's run. It was named second runner-up for the International Audience Award at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival, earning recognition for its artistic merit. In South Korea, it has also recorded high audience-satisfaction scores: a 92% CGV Golden Egg Index, 9.2 points at Lotte Cinema and an 8.9 audience rating on Naver.

With Hur Jin-ho's nuanced direction and powerful ensemble performances by Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il and Lee Min-ho, 〈The Assassin(s)〉 remains near the top of the box office in its fifth week and is now playing in theaters nationwide.