Korea Box Office: ‘Once We Were Us’ Holds Top Spot as ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Crosses $50 Million Milestone

Local romance “Once We Were Us” maintained its position at the summit of the South Korean box office for a second consecutive weekend, according to data from KOBIS, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council. While the local hit continued to draw the largest crowds, James Cameron’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash” reached a significant financial milestone in the territory.

“Once We Were Us” earned $2.1 million from 316,411 admissions over the weekend. Directed by Kim Do-young and starring Koo Kyo-hwan and Moon Ga-young, the film is a Korean remake of the 2018 Chinese melodrama “Us and Them.” The story follows two people who first met as students and fell in love, only to be separated by the harsh realities of city life. They unexpectedly reunite a decade later, forcing them to confront their shared past and the dreams they once held. The film has now reached a cumulative gross of $10.4 million from 1.5 million admissions.

In second place, “Avatar: Fire and Ash” added $1.5 million to its total, allowing the threequel to surpass the $50 million mark in South Korea. Since its mid-December debut, the film has amassed a total of $50.4 million from 6.3 million admissions. Despite the rise of local titles, the tentpole continues to hold a strong revenue share of 20.9%.

“Choir of God” climbed to third place in its third weekend of release, earning $779,915 from 114,841 admissions. Directed by Kim Hyeong-hyeop, the musical drama marks the big-screen return of actor Park Si-hoo. The film follows efforts to bypass international sanctions by seeking assistance from a Hungarian NGO to construct churches in Pyongyang. Its total gross has now reached $2.8 million.

Two new local entries made their debut in the top five. The animated feature “Shinbi’s Haunted House: One More Summon” opened in fourth place, grossing $696,114 over the weekend. Based on the popular “Shinbi Apartment” television franchise, the film follows siblings Hari and Doori and their goblin friend Shinbi as they investigate a new supernatural threat involving mysterious hypnotizing water. Since its opening on Jan. 14, it has earned a total of $973,020.

Close behind in fifth was the romantic comedy “Heartman: Rock and Love,” which earned $684,213. Directed by Choi Won-sub, who previously directed the action-comedy “Hitman: Agent Jun,” the film stars Kwon Sang-woo and Moon Chae-won. The plot follows a former musician living a quiet, orderly life whose world is turned upside down when he reunites with his first love. As he attempts to win her back while hiding a major secret, comedic chaos ensues. The film has earned $1 million since its Jan. 14 release.

Disney’s “Zootopia 2” moved to sixth place, adding $486,780 to its massive $55.1 million cumulative total.

The local romance “Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight,” starring Choo Young-woo and Shin Sia, fell to seventh, earning $187,767 for a total of $5.4 million. Based on the novel by Ichijo Misaki, the film stars Choo Young-woo and Shin Sia. Directed by Kim Hye-young, the film is a bittersweet high-school romance centered on a girl with anterograde amnesia whose memories reset each morning. 

The top 10 was rounded out by the local animation “Gogo Dino Movie: Insect World Adventure,” which debuted with $98,447. Directed by Lee Sun-myung, the Moggozi-produced adventure follows the titular robot dinosaurs as they navigate a giant-sized insect kingdom. It was followed by “Crayon Shinchan the movie: Super Hot! The Spicy Kasukabe Dancers” with $61,638 and a one-week only revival of Japanese anime hit “The First Slam Dunk” with $71,287.