The local horror-thriller film “Salemokji: The Whisper of Water” took the top spot at the South Korean box office during the weekend of April 10th to 12th.
According to data from KOBIS, a tracking service run by the Korea Film Council, the film earned $3.7 million from 536,451 admissions over the weekend, giving it a 47.17% share of the total revenue.
Directed by Lee Sang-min, the film stars Kim Hye-yoon and Lee Jung-won as a roadview camera crew who encounter terrifying paranormal phenomena at a remote reservoir. Since its official launch, the Showbox-distributed title has reached $5 million in cumulative revenue with 724,036 admissions. This was the strongest opening weekend for a domestic horror film since 2024’s blockbuster “Exhuma,” and surpassed recent genre entries like “Dark Nuns” and “Noise.”
Hollywood sci-fi blockbuster “Project Hail Mary” came in second place with $2 million over the weekend. The movie, starring Ryan Gosling, has officially surpassed 2 million viewers and has grossed $15.4 million since its March 18 release.
In third place, the historical drama “The King’s Warden” added $1.1 million, setting a record box office. The number of visitors for the three days was 175,342, bringing the total number of moviegoers to 16,397,364. With this milestone, the film officially became the second most-watched movie in Korean history, surpassing 2019 comedy “Extreme Job” (16.26 million views) and behind “The Admiral: Roaring Currents” (17.61 million views). Its cumulative revenue has reached an unprecedented $106.3 million.
The animated film Running Man: Light and Shadow debuted in fourth place with $70,833. The film, written and directed by Yoon Jun-sang, features the voices of Kim So-young, Kwon Chan-wook, and Uhm Sang-hyun. The plot focuses on the world-famous Running Man, who suddenly transforms into a dangerous villain attacking Tree City. As a secret organization called Metronome declares war to eliminate them, an agent named Rema suspects a hidden truth and begins an investigation to find the true enemy. Including its first day on April 11, it made $73,199.
Pixar’s “Hoppers” came in fifth place, adding $83,572 for a total of $4.9 million. “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Castle” followed with $108,625 on 77 screens, bringing its lifetime total in Korea to $42.1 million.
The romantic drama “We Live in Time” came in seventh place with $63,017. Directed by John Crowley and starring Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield, it grossed $108,386.
The Japanese romantic drama “The Last Song You Left Behind” came in eighth place, earning $63,055 for a total of $517,425. Directed by Takahiro Miki and based on the novel by Misaki Ichijo, the film stars Shunsuke Michieda and Airu Ikumi as two musicians who develop a bond over music and poetry over many years.
American crime thriller “Crime 101” debuted at No. 9 with $40,824 and has a cumulative total of $71,825.
Rounding out the top 10 was local crime action comedy “Ultimate Duo,” which added $47,034 for a total of $516,178. The film, directed by Park Cheol-hwan and starring Bae Sung-woo and Jung Ga-ram, depicts the unlikely partnership between a veteran detective who is demoted to a rural police station and a rookie cop turned wealthy influencer. The two embark on an unauthorized investigation that turns from a petty theft at a church to a high-stakes murder in Gangnam.
The overall market total for the weekend was $8.01 million, an improvement from last week’s $5.8 million.
