Hur Jin-ho's 'The Assassin(s)' Tops Korea's Chuseok Box Office

Hur Jin-ho's political crime thriller "The Assassin(s)" opened at the top of the South Korean box office over the September 25–27 weekend, dominating the Chuseok holiday frame with $8 million from 1,119,156 admissions.

According to data from KOBIS, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council, the local title claimed 40.9% of the weekend market across 1,532 screens. Since launching on September 23, the film has accumulated $11.2 million from 1,566,222 admissions.

"The Assassin(s)" reconstructs the August 15, 1974 assassination attempt on President Park Chung-hee during a National Liberation Day ceremony, an attack that killed First Lady Yuk Young-soo. Yu Hae-jin plays a detective investigating missing ballistic evidence alongside a veteran newspaper society desk chief, played by Park Hae-il, and a rookie reporter, played by Lee Min-ho. Their inquiry challenges the state's lone-gunman verdict.

Crime saga "Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub" opened in second place with $4.1 million from 566,526 admissions across 1,045 screens, taking 21.3% of the market. Directed by Choi Kook-hee and starring Byun Yo-han, Noh Jae-won and Ayaka Miyoshi, the fourth installment in the comic-adapted gambling franchise follows a betrayed former online casino operator who enters the international poker circuit for a high-stakes duel of vengeance. Counting previews and holiday crowds since its September 23 release, the film has earned $6.1 million from 833,030 admissions.

Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" held third place in its eighth weekend, adding $3.2 million from 364,763 admissions across 843 screens for a 16.6% market share. Its cumulative haul has reached $96.3 million from 11,783,301 admissions since its August 5 launch.

Last week's admissions chart-topper "The Intern" fell to fourth in its sophomore frame. The Warner Bros. Korea comedy remake, directed by Kim Do-young and starring Choi Min-sik and Han So-hee, generated $1.5 million from 206,347 admissions across 722 screens, capturing 7.6% of receipts. Its cumulative total now stands at $5.3 million from 756,057 viewers.

Auteur Lee Chang-dong's social drama "Possible Love" debuted in fifth place with $557,981 from 72,022 admissions across 195 screens. The Venice Grand Jury Prize winner stars Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Cho Yeo-jeong and Zo In-sung, and centers on the psychological tension between a working-class couple in the aftermath of a strike and a wealthy couple filming a documentary about them. Since its September 23 bow, South Korea's Oscar submission has amassed $890,241 from 115,938 admissions.

"Obsession" placed sixth in its fourth frame with $542,493 from 67,619 admissions across 471 screens, bringing its total to $6.6 million from 849,155 ticket buyers.

"Avengers: Endgame Encore" opened in seventh, taking $550,939 from 63,273 admissions across 178 screens. The reissue has earned $941,892 from 107,950 viewers.

"Resident Evil" collected $291,213 from 36,459 admissions in eighth place. The survival horror reboot has reached $1.4 million from 186,950 total admissions.

"Spider-Man: Brand New Day" placed ninth, pulling in $154,701 from 22,278 admissions and lifting its haul to $67.4 million from 9,032,429 admissions.

The British animated adventure "Octonauts: Above and Beyond – Season 2" rounded out the top 10, opening with $89,565 from 12,636 admissions across 239 screens and reaching $125,089 from 17,779 viewers since its September 23 debut.

The overall market gross for the weekend reached $19.6 million, up sharply from the previous week's $7.6 million. The holiday surge confirms that local titles — three of the top five — now anchor Korea's biggest theatrical frames, with "The Assassin(s)" and "Tazza 4" set to extend their run as Chuseok audiences continue through the holiday week.