Korea Box Office: ‘Once We Were Us’ Stays No. 1 as ‘Send Help’ and ‘Sister’ Debut

The local romance “Once We Were Us” maintained its position at the top of the South Korean box office , according to data from KOBIS, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council.

“Once We Were Us” earned $1.2 million from 179,740 admissions between Friday and Sunday. Directed by Kim Do-young and starring Koo Kyo-hwan and Moon Ga-young, the local remake of the 2018 Chinese hit “Us and Them” follows two former lovers who first met in 2008 and unexpectedly reunite on a flight a decade later. The film has now reached a cumulative gross of $15.5 million from 2,322,852 admissions.

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In second place, the local musical drama “Choir of God” continued its strong performance in its fifth week, earning $974,062 from 148,319 admissions. Starring Park Si-hoo and Jeong Jin-woon, the film centers on a North Korean security officer who organizes a deceptive choir to interact with an international NGO to secure foreign funds for the state. Its total gross has now reached $6.1 million.

“Avatar: Fire and Ash” took third place, bringing in $581,386 over the weekend. The threequel remains a long-term earner in South Korea, currently sitting at a cumulative gross of $53.4 million from 6,679,898 admissions since its December release.

The local animated feature “Shinbi’s Haunted House: One More Summon” held fourth place, adding $216,295 for a total gross of $1.8 million. Based on the popular “Shinbi Apartment” television franchise, the film follows siblings Hari and Doori and their goblin friend Shinbi as they investigate a new supernatural threat involving mysterious water.

The highest-ranking new entry for the weekend was the Sam Raimi’s survival horror “Send Help,” which debuted in fifth place with $231,647 from 34,266 admissions. Since its Jan. 28 release, it has earned $355,618.

“Zootopia 2” dropped to sixth place, adding $194,402 to reach a cumulative total of $56.4 million. It was followed by another new Hollywood release, “The Housemaid,” which debuted in seventh place with $184,585 from 28,418 admissions.

The local suspense thriller “Sister” opened in eighth place with $168,064 from 26,863 admissions. Directed by Jin Sung-moon, the film follows an undocumented immigrant who turns to loan sharks to pay for her sick sister’s surgery. In desperation, she kidnaps the daughter of a company owner, with the help of a loan shark accomplice. Since its Jan. 28 release, the film has earned $266,834.

The Japanese romance “Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight” earned $132,502. The 2022 film follows a girl with anterograde amnesia who forgets each day when she wakes up. The film has found renewed interest alongside a local remake of the same title.

Rounding out the top ten was the classic Studio Ghibli animation “Laputa: Castle in the Sky,” which earned $104,806 for a total of $597,166.

The overall market collective gross for the weekend was $4.9 million, down from last week’s $6.3 million.