Yoo Hae-jin's 'The Assassin(s)' crosses 1 million admissions in 4 days

1 million in four days

Yoo Hae-jin's 암살자(들) (The Assassin(s)) crossed 1 million cumulative admissions on its fourth day of release. The distributor Hive Media Corp confirmed 1,057,760 viewers as of 7:00 AM on September 26.

It opened at number one on September 23 and stayed there for three straight days. The pace beats 오디세이 and 왕과 사는 남자—the year's two highest-grossing films so far.

What the film is about

The Assassin(s) dramatizes the shooting of First Lady Yuk Young-soo at a Liberation Day commemorative event on August 15, 1974. The film treats it as a case with unresolved suspicions and hidden actors lurking behind the official story.

Yoo Hae-jin plays '철구', a security detective at the scene who grows suspicious when the investigation bureau's account contradicts what he witnessed. Park Hae-il plays '재환', a newspaper social affairs editor chasing the truth despite mounting pressure. Lee Min-ho plays '영일', a rookie reporter who covered the scene firsthand.

Director Huh Jin-ho, known for 보통의 가족 (2024) and 천문: 하늘에 묻다 (2019), directed.

Early audience response

Viewers at major chains have responded strongly. One Megabox patron wrote: "시간 가는 줄 모르고 봄. 천만 찍을 듯" (time flies watching it — looks like it'll hit 10 million). A CGV viewer called it "최고의 영화" despite low expectations, praising the performances and story.

(The Chuseok holiday window almost certainly helped the opening numbers. The pace holding against the year's established hits, though, is what actually matters.)

The Assassin(s) is screening nationwide.