The Top Box Office in Korea in 2023 (as of November 24th)

Which of these top box office hits in Korea have you watched?

1. The Roundup 3 (released on May 31st) 

topped the list with over 10 million viewers and more than 104 billion won in sales.

What it's about: Ma Seok-do is a detective who gets promoted to the Metropolitan Investigation Unit with his team. They are assigned to a case involving the murder of a woman named Go Sun-hee, who had been using a drug called "Hiper". Ma goes to a nightclub where he questions the president and finds out that a yakuza member named Hiroshi was the source of Hiper in Incheon. Ma and his team capture Hiro and confiscate 20 kilos of Hiper, but a crooked cop named Joo Sung-chul kills Hiroshi and takes the Hiper, leaving Ma and his team in a trap.

Joo Sung-chul is working for a crime syndicate called White Shark Clan and wants to sell the Hiper for them. The yakuza, who lost their Hiper, hire a hitman named Ricky to get it back. Ma learns about another Hiper dealer named Tomo and tries to catch him, but Ricky gets there first and kills Tomo, then flees. This sparks a drug war between Ricky and Joo Sung-chul. Ma follows a clue to a boat yacht where he discovers Hiper and sets up a deal with Joo Sung-chul with the help of a friend Chorong.

However, Joo Sung-chul changes his mind and makes a deal with Ricky instead. Ricky captures Ma and takes him away, while Joo Sung-chul escapes with the Hiper. Ricky tortures Ma, who fights back and overpowers Ricky. Ma uses a tracker in the bag to locate Joo Sung-chul at his office. The police arrest Joo Sung-chul and the yakuza gang, while Ma and his team celebrate their victory. In a mid-credits scene, Ma finds Jang I-soo and asks for his help in another case.

2. Elemental (released on June 14th) 

came in second with over 7 million viewers and more than 71 billion won in sales. 

What it's about: A young woman with a fiery personality and a guy who likes to go with the flow find out something elemental: how much they share in common, in a city where people of fire, water, land, and air coexist.

3. Suzume (released on March 8th) 

ranked third with over 5.5 million viewers and more than 57 billion won in sales. 

What it's about: Japan is on the verge of disaster as the planet shakes and the skies turn red. But a brave teenager named Suzume has a plan to save her country. She can see the supernatural forces that others can't, and she must close the strange doors that are causing chaos everywhere. She faces a dangerous adventure as the destiny of Japan depends on her.

4. Smugglers (released on July 26th) 

with over 5 million viewers and nearly 50 billion won in sales.

 

What it's about: A chemical plant ruined the peaceful seaside town of Guncheon and took away the jobs of the haenyeo, the women divers. Chun-ja (Kim Hye-soo) is a fighter who wants to earn a living. She hears that there is a lot of money to be made by retrieving an item that is thrown into the sea. She discovers the world of smuggling and makes a tempting offer to the leader of the haenyeo, Jin-sook (Yum Jung-ah), who decides to take the risk and join her. She meets Sergeant Kwon (Zo In-sung), the king of smuggling in the country, and falls in love with the smuggling life. Then one day, a golden opportunity to make a fortune comes along.

5. The First Slam Dunk (released on January 4th) 

with over 4.7 million viewers and nearly 50 billion won in sales. 

What it's about: The inter-High basketball game between Shohoku High School and Sannoh High School is a clash of wills and skills. Each player has their own achievements, past, and thoughts that they bring to the court. The game is a fierce battle of emotions and strategies.

6. Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 (released on May 3rd) 

with over 4.2 million viewers and more than 44 billion won in sales. 

What it's about: Peter Quill is still grieving over Gamora’s death, but he has to lead his team to save the universe and one of their own. The mission is critical and risky, and if they fail, it could mean the end of the Guardians as we know them.

7. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (released on July 12th) 

landed on the seventh spot with over 4 million viewers and more than 40 billion won in sales. 

What it's about: A new weapon that could doom humanity is on the loose, and Ethan Hunt and the IMF team have to find it before it's too late. They embark on a perilous chase across the world, facing a mysterious and powerful foe. Ethan has to make a hard choice: whether to put the mission above everything else, even the lives of those he loves most.

8. Concrete Utopia (released on August 9th) 

secured the eighth spot with over 3.8 million viewers and more than 37 billion won in sales. 

What it's about: A massive earthquake destroyed Seoul in one night. Everything is in ruins, except for one place: the Imperial Palace Apartments. The residents feel threatened by the outsiders who want to get in, hearing the rumors of the safe haven. They unite for survival, and under the leadership of Yeong-tak (Lee Byung-hun), the new resident representative, they make new rules for the apartment dwellers and block the entrance of outsiders. This way, the Imperial Palace Apartments become a utopian oasis for the residents, unlike the hellish world outside. But in a never-ending struggle for survival, they start to face unexpected conflicts among themselves.

9. Oppenheimer (released on August 15th) 

with over 3.2 million viewers and more than 34 billion won in sales.

What it's about: In the midst of World War II, physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer is chosen by Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves Jr. to lead the secret Manhattan Project. Oppenheimer and a team of scientists work for years to create and test the atomic bomb. Their work culminates on July 16, 1945, as they witness the world's first nuclear explosion, altering the course of history forever.

10. Super Mario Brothers (released on April 6th)

rounded out the top ten with over 2.3 million viewers and more than 23 billion won in sales. 

What it's about: Brooklyn plumbers and brothers Mario and Luigi are working underground to repair a water main, when they discover a mysterious pipe that leads them to a magical new world. But when they get separated, they embark on an epic adventure.

Comments

1. I saw Elemental, Suzume and Oppenheimer

2. Elemental was a surprise… It seemed like no one talked about it so I had no idea it was so popular

3. I liked Elemental, The Roundup and Oppenheimer

4. I watched all of them

5. Was Smugglers that successful?

6. I viewed Slam Dunk, Elemental, and Smugglers

7. I watched everything except the animationsㅋㅋㅋㅋ

8. I only viewed Elemental, looks like many people did tooㅋㅋ

9. Foreign animations outnumbered Korean movies… is this true?

10. But The Roundup got no awards??

(Sources: kobis.or.kr, theqoo)