[Edaily Starin YUN GI BACK Reporter] Despite controversy over historical distortion, the film “The Assassin(s)” has maintained its top spot at the box office, surpassing 2.5 million cumulative viewers. However, as “Chiikawa: The Secret of the Mermaid Island” narrows the gap in daily attendance and takes the lead in advance ticket sales, the box office competition during the Hangul Day holiday is expected to intensify.

According to the Korean Film Council’s integrated computer network on the 8th, “The Assassin(s)” maintained its No. 1 position at the box office by drawing 53,891 viewers on the 7th. Its cumulative attendance stands at 2,520,869. The film surpassed the 2.5 million mark amid ongoing political controversy surrounding the film and concerns for the safety of its cast.
“Chiikawa,” in second place, drew 49,227 viewers on the same day. With a cumulative audience of 818,352, the difference in daily attendance between it and “The Assassin(s)” was only 4,664. Following these, “Tazza,” “Odyssey,” and “A Survey on the Mouth” ranked third through fifth, respectively.
“The Assassin(s)” has seen a rebound in its online ratings. The Naver rating from actual moviegoers, which stood at 8.2 on the 29th of last month, has risen to 8.7. During the same period, the netizen rating also climbed from 2.2 to 3.4. While there remains a significant gap between the two ratings, attention is focused on whether the improved reviews from actual moviegoers will translate into increased attendance during the holiday.
In terms of advance ticket sales, “Chiikawa” maintains the lead. As of 8 a.m. on the 8th, “Chiikawa” ranked first with 96,989 tickets sold, while “Assassins” ranked second with 52,686 tickets. The gap between the two films stands at 44,303 tickets.
While “The Assassin(s)” currently leads in actual attendance, “Chiikawa” is in the lead in terms of advance ticket sales, which indicate future viewing demand. The Hangul Day holiday, which begins on the 9th, is expected to be a turning point that will determine whether “The Assassin(s)” retains the top spot or “Chiikawa” overtakes it.