[Edaily Starin YUN GI BACK Reporter] Although the film “The Assassin(s)” remained at the top of the box office, its daily attendance dropped to the 50,000 range. While its advance ticket sales rose to second place, they remained only about half that of the leader, “Chiikawa: The Secret of the Mermaid Island.” The challenge now is whether the heightened interest sparked by controversies over historical distortion and political sparring can be sustained as continued demand for the film.

According to the Korean Film Council’s integrated computer network on the 7th, “The Assassin(s)” maintained its No. 1 spot at the box office, drawing 54,177 viewers the previous day. This figure represents a decrease of approximately 70% from the 178,854 viewers recorded on the 5th, a substitute holiday for Gaecheonjeol.
It is common for audience numbers to decline as the holiday period gives way to weekdays. It is difficult to conclusively determine the impact of the controversy on the film’s box office performance based solely on the drop in a single day’s attendance. However, with audience draw having weakened since the film’s second week of release and the holiday effect now fading, the film’s ability to sustain its box office success is being put to the test.
“The Assassin(s)” drew 1,546,582 viewers in its first week, but this number dropped by about 57% to 667,776 in its second week. Even considering that viewing conditions differed from the first week—which included the Chuseok holiday—the film failed to regain its initial momentum during the National Foundation Day holiday. This is why it is important to examine the actual trend in audience numbers alongside its ranking as the number one film at the box office.
The gap with competing films was also evident in advance ticket sales rankings. As of the morning of the 7th, *The Assassin(s)* ranked second in advance ticket sales, but the number of tickets sold for the top-ranked film, *Chiikawa: The Secret of the Mermaid Island*, was approximately double that of *The Assassin(s)*. Even though *The Assassin(s)* moved up one spot from third place the previous morning, *Chiikawa* appears to be leading in terms of future audience demand.
The controversy surrounding the film remains intense. Criticism from political circles and calls to watch the film continue to emerge regarding the historical interpretation of a work inspired by the assassination of First Lady Yuk Young-soo. Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, held a press conference at First Lady Yuk Young-soo’s birthplace to criticize the film, while Cho Kuk, president of the Innovation Policy Research Institute of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, and Seo Young-kyo, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea, publicly shared their reviews and encouraged viewers to see it.
The controversy has also affected the personal safety and professional activities of the actors. Following a protest by a conservative group outside Yoo Hae-jin’s home, his agency stated it would take action against the spread of false information and personal threats; the cast’s attendance at the Busan International Film Festival opening ceremony and outdoor stage greetings for *The Assassin(s)* were also canceled for safety reasons.
While this back-and-forth has heightened interest in the film, current audience trends do not indicate a significant increase in box office performance. The key to its long-term success will be how well it maintains its weekday audience after the holiday ends and whether it can rebound next weekend.
Meanwhile, the previous day’s box office rankings saw “Chiikawa: The Secret of the Mermaid Island” in second place, “Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub” in third, and “Odyssey” in fourth. “The Resurrected Man: The Red,” in fifth place, drew 9,798 viewers, dropping below the 10,000-viewer mark for the day.