Korean Horror 'Salmokji' Tops Box Office; 'King's Warden' Hits 16.4M
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- Salmokji: Whispering Water debuted at #1 with $3.7 million from 536,451 admissions and a 47.17% revenue share, marking the strongest opening weekend for a domestic Korean horror film since 2024's "Exhuma," with a cumulative gross of $5 million.
- The King's Warden added $1.1 million over the weekend to reach 16,397,364 cumulative admissions, officially surpassing "Extreme Job" (16.26 million) as the second most-watched film in South Korean history, trailing only "The Admiral: Roaring Currents" (17.61 million), with cumulative revenue of $106.3 million.
- Project Hail Mary held at #2 with $2 million, crossing the 2 million admissions milestone for a $15.4 million cumulative gross since its March 18 opening.
- Running Man: Light & Shadow opened at #4 with $70,833, an animated feature about the Running Men transforming into villains and being hunted by a secret organization called Metronome.
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Infinity Castle Arc earned $108,625 from 77 screens, pushing its lifetime South Korean total to $42.1 million.
- The overall Korean market gross for the weekend reached $8.01 million, up from $5.8 million the prior week.
Why it matters: Two different milestones for Korean cinema happened in the same frame: a new domestic horror title opened stronger than any local genre film since 2024's breakout "Exhuma," while a historical drama crossed 16.4 million admissions to claim the #2 spot on the country's all-time chart. For exhibitors and distributors, the weekend's 38% week-over-week market growth signals a healthier theatrical environment than the prior frame.
