[Edaily Starin YUN GI BACK Reporter] The film “The Assassin(s),” which has continued to draw crowds despite controversy over historical distortion, is showing a sharp decline in viewership with just one month left before its release. It has dropped to fourth place at the box office and is in danger of falling out of the top 10 in advance ticket sales. However, with cumulative attendance nearing 3.3 million, the film is on the verge of breaking even.

According to the Korean Film Council’s integrated computer network on the 22nd, “The Assassin(s)” drew 13,539 viewers on the 21st alone, ranking fourth at the box office. Its cumulative attendance stands at 3,295,133. Although the film once held the top spot at the box office and led the box office charts, its ranking has fallen recently due to the release of new films and the continued strong performance of existing hits.
Advance ticket sales are also slowing down. Its real-time advance ticket sales ranking, which once remained in the top tier, has dropped to 9th place. In contrast to the high level of audience interest seen early in its run, the influx of new viewers has noticeably decreased. While a decline in audience numbers is inevitable as the film’s run lengthens, it is expected to be difficult to regain momentum as competition with new releases intensifies.
Nevertheless, *The Assassin(s)* has achieved a meaningful result in this year’s Korean film market. Although it was embroiled in a fierce debate—with both supporters and critics—even before its release due to controversy over historical distortion, it surpassed 3 million viewers and ranked fourth in box office earnings among Korean films released this year. This means the film has secured a certain level of audience support despite concerns that the controversy surrounding it would negatively impact its box office performance.
Attention is now focused on whether the film will break even. Initially, the break-even point for “The Assassin(s)” was estimated at around 3.7 million viewers. However, after factoring in overseas sales and ancillary rights revenue, it is reportedly now estimated to be around 3.3 million viewers. This figure takes into account not only theater attendance but also revenue generated from subsequent distribution channels, such as international distribution, online video services (OTT), and video-on-demand (VOD).
Currently, the gap between the cumulative audience count and the estimated break-even point is only 4,867 people. Given recent daily attendance figures, it is highly likely that the film will surpass the estimated 3.3 million mark—its break-even point—as early as the 22nd.