Jang Hang-jun’s The Man Who Lives with the King Drives Korean Box Office Rebound
Jang Hang-jun’s The Man Who Lives with the King drew 16.9 million viewers and helped lift first-half Korean film revenue to 370.2 billion won. The second-half slate is led by Na Hong-jin’s HOPE and major Hollywood releases.
Director Jang Hang-jun's 'The Man Who Lives with the King' led the rebound of the domestic theater market in the first half of 2026 by attracting 16.9 million viewers. According to the Korean Box Office Information System (KOBIS), the number of Korean film viewers from January to June this year was approximately 37.369 million, and revenue reached 370.2 billion won, increasing by 74.9% and 81.7% respectively compared to the same period last year.
'The Man Who Lives with the King' Hits 16.9 Million, No. 2 Korean Film Box Office Hit
'The Man Who Lives with the King' is a work dealing with the stories of King Danjong and Eom Heung-do, and since its release last February, it has gathered 16.9 million viewers, ranking 2nd in the all-time Korean film box office rankings. This work was also the biggest driver in expanding the market scale in the first half of the year.
The momentum of Korean films continued with 'Colony' and 'Salmokji'. 'Colony' attracted 5.84 million viewers, 'Salmokji' attracted 3.24 million, and 'Once We Were Us' attracted 2.47 million viewers respectively. The proportion of Korean films among total viewers was presented as 63.5%, while the number of foreign film viewers was 19.675138 million (33.5%). Although the number of released foreign films was 928, more than four times the 217 Korean films, Korean films took control of the box office. This is the highest level compared to the Korean film market share between 2022 and 2025.
Concentration of 5 Million+ Hits, Decrease in Mid-to-High Tier
Excluding 'The Man Who Lives with the King', 'Colony' was the only Korean film to surpass 5 million viewers in the first half, and among foreign films, 'F1: The Movie' (5.21 million) crossed the 5 million mark. The number of hits recording over 3 million viewers decreased from 4 films in the first half of last year ('F1: The Movie', 'Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning', 'Yadang', 'Mickey 17') to 3 films this year ('The Man Who Lives with the King', 'Colony', 'Salmokji').
The spy action blockbuster 'HUMINT' was pushed off the screens, and 'Colony' was also evaluated as not meeting original expectations. In the foreign film market, Hollywood IP 'Toy Story 5' and director James Cameron's 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' failed to satisfy the expectations of domestic audiences, and the SF blockbuster 'PROJECT HAIL MARY' and 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' also struggled.
'HOPE' Releases July 15, Second-Half Lineup Faces Off
The key new Korean film to continue the upward trend of the first half is director Na Hong-jin's 'HOPE', which opens on July 15. Director Na is releasing a new work 10 years after 'The Wailing' in 2016. 'HOPE', which depicts the desperate struggle of residents against an unidentified entity, was invited to the competition section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival.
'HOPE' stars Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Jung Ho-yeon, Michael Fassbender, and Alicia Vikander. The producers signed pre-sale contracts with approximately 200 countries before the release, recovering about half of the net production costs early.
Last year, the theater market defended its annual viewer count as 'Zootopia 2' (7.7 million), 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Infinity Castle' (5.69 million), and 'My Daughter Is a Zombie' (5.63 million) successively became hits in the second half. The Korean film lineup for the second half of this year includes 'HOPE', 'Okay! Madam', and 'The Assassin(s)'. In Hollywood, Disney's live-action film 'Moana', Marvel Studios' 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day', and director Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' are scheduled for release from the summer peak season to the end of the year.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Film Council will distribute approximately 2.05 million 6,000 won movie discount coupons starting from 10:00 AM on July 8. This is the second measure following the first distribution last May, and an official from the Ministry stated that the distribution is aimed at the summer vacation and holiday period.
