The Assassin(s), Hur Jin-ho's Korean political thriller about the 1974 assassination attempt that killed first lady Yuk Young-soo, crossed 3 million admissions nationwide on October 12, 2026 — just 20 days after its September 23 release — becoming the fifth Korean film of 2026 to reach the milestone, according to the Korean Film Council's integrated ticketing network.
Third Week Defies the Box Office Curve
The film's third-week numbers are the real headline. From October 5 to October 11, The Assassin(s) drew 758,587 moviegoers, holding the No. 1 spot on the overall weekly box office for three consecutive weeks. Remarkably, that total was roughly 90,000 higher than the 667,698 admissions of its second week — a rare upward trajectory at a stage when most films fade, aided by the Hangeul Day holiday and strong word of mouth.
Audience scores are climbing too. The verified-viewer rating on Naver rose from 8.0 to 8.8, and CGV's Golden Egg index trended upward, with reviewers praising the cast, the direction, and a tightly constructed story. The film had previously crossed 2.5 million admissions in just 15 days.
The 1974 Tragedy at the Film's Center
Directed by Hur Jin-ho (Christmas in August, One Fine Spring Day) and distributed by Hive Media Corp, the film stars Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il, and Lee Min-ho, alongside Shim Eun-kyung and Ryu Hye-young. It is a procedural thriller following a senior police inspector, a newspaper's social-affairs editor, and a rookie reporter as they probe contradictions in the official inquiry into the August 15, 1974 incident: gunshots fired during President Park Chung-hee's Liberation Day ceremony, an attempt to assassinate him that instead killed first lady Yuk Young-soo. The film world-premiered in the Gala Presentations section of the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.
Historical-Distortion Controversy Fuels Interest
The film's run has unfolded against a fierce historical-distortion controversy. Critics and conservative political figures argue the film implies Park Chung-hee or insiders in his regime were possibly behind the 1974 shooting. People Power Party lawmakers including Yoo Young-ha — a former close aide to Park Geun-hye — and Koo Ja-geun and Kang Myung-gu, who represent Gumi, Park Chung-hee's birthplace, demanded an apology and a correction, with some calling for a legal review over defamation of deceased persons. The Park Chung Hee Memorial Foundation demanded screenings be halted, citing investigation and trial records as evidence the gunman received instructions from a figure connected to the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan.
Hive Media Corp has denied the allegations, stating the film was reconstructed using multiple records from the time of the 1974 incident combined with cinematic imagination, and that it was not made to establish a new historical conclusion, deny existing facts, or serve a political agenda. But the dispute has escalated: a conservative civic group rallied near Yoo Hae-jin's home, an advertiser halted a campaign featuring him, and cast members skipped Busan International Film Festival events over safety concerns. With political sparring dominating coverage, analysts say the controversy has paradoxically functioned as promotion, driving curious audiences into theaters.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Silly Fun (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Can It Clear the Break-Even Mark?
The film cost 19 billion won (about $13.7 million) to produce, putting its break-even point at approximately 3.7 million admissions — a target now squarely in view. Industry attention is on whether the coming weekend can close the gap, with strong advance reservations and rising word of mouth in its favor. One wrinkle: over the October 9–11 weekend, the Japanese anime Chiikawa the Movie edged it out for the weekend crown by just 215 tickets ($3.13 million to $3.03 million), a reminder that the road to profitability is not guaranteed. Either way, The Assassin(s) has already become one of the year's defining Korean cinema stories — a thriller whose off-screen drama proved as gripping as the one on screen.
Sources: SBS Entertainment News, Soompi, Korea JoongAng Daily, Seoul Economic Daily