[Edaily Reporter Choi Hee-jae ] It has been revealed that only five Korean films released this year have surpassed their break-even points. While tentpole films such as “HUMINT” and “Hope”—which had production budgets in the tens of billions—failed one after another to reach the break-even point, the strong performance of mid-to-low-budget films like “The Man Who Lives with the King” stands out. There are growing calls for the stagnant Korean film industry to break away from its reliance on blockbusters and produce films of various scales in order to regain its vitality.

According to the film industry on the 28th, of the 361 Korean films released from the beginning of this year through October, only five—*The Man Who Lives with the King* (*Wangsa Nam*), *Salmokji*, *Gunche*, *The Assassin(s)*, and *Paradise Lost*—are estimated to have surpassed the break-even point.

With the exception of “The Army,” which had a production budget of approximately 20 billion won, all of these are low- to medium-budget films. In the film industry, films with a net production budget of around 10 to 15 billion won are generally classified as medium-budget films. The horror film *Salmokji*, with a budget of approximately 3 billion won, surpassed its break-even point (800,000 viewers) within seven days of its release, while the low-budget film *Paradise Lost*, with a budget in the 500 million won range, recouped its production costs through pre-sales to 118 countries overseas before its domestic release. *The Man Who Lives with the King* and *The Assassin(s)* are also mid-budget films with production budgets in the 10 billion won range.

In contrast, tentpole productions with budgets in the tens of billions of won failed to deliver results. Director Ryu Seung-wan’s spy action film “HUMINT,” which cost approximately 23.5 billion won to produce, attracted only 1.98 million viewers, falling far short of its break-even point (4 million viewers). Director Na Hong-jin’s “Hope” is a blockbuster with the highest production budget in Korean cinema history (approximately 50 billion won), but it failed to become a box office hit due to mixed audience reviews. The film’s break-even point is estimated at 7 million viewers, yet its cumulative audience total reached only about 4.59 million.

Film critic Yoon Seong-eun stated, “Since the box office performance of these blockbusters fell short of expectations, it did not lead to a boom for Korean cinema,” adding, “Although the number of theatergoers increased this year, it is difficult to say that the Korean film industry has rebounded.”

Concerns are growing that the string of losses from major productions could create a burden on tentpole investments and lead to a contraction in the film industry. An official from a film distribution company explained, “As total costs—including production and marketing expenses—rise, it’s difficult to break even even when attracting a certain number of viewers,” adding, “The greater the uncertainty surrounding box office success, the more cautious we must be when deciding to invest in the next project.” The official also noted, “Overall, there’s a growing trend toward a more conservative approach to investment.”

Industry experts agree that for the film industry to regain its vitality, there needs to be an increase in mid-budget films. Rather than relying on the box office success of a few big-budget productions, the industry must build a diverse portfolio to appeal to audiences. Last year, mid-to-low-budget films such as “Noise” (approximately 3.5 billion won) and “Face” (approximately 200 million won) drew attention by far exceeding their break-even points with box office results that surpassed expectations.

An official from a film distribution company emphasized, “While the success of tentpole films expands the market size, mid-budget films fill the gaps between blockbusters and help maintain box office continuity.” They added, “To ensure the entire market isn’t dictated by the success or failure of a single blockbuster, we need to create an ecosystem where films of various production scales and genres consistently reach audiences.”

The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) is gradually increasing support for mid-budget films, including setting this year’s production support budget at 20 billion won—double the previous year’s figure (10 billion won). However, a film industry official suggested, “While increasing support is important, it is also necessary to create a system where supported projects actually make it to theaters,” adding, “Production costs must be recouped through theater revenue so that investment in and production of follow-up projects can continue.”