Lee Min-ho’s The Assassin(s) has stormed the Korean box office, turning its Chuseok holiday launch into one of the most talked-about film openings of the season. Fresh off its Toronto International Film Festival premiere, the historical thriller quickly translated festival buzz into strong commercial momentum, giving Korea’s holiday moviegoing period a clear winner.
Released on September 23, the film drew more than 1.5 million admissions in its first five days and generated $11.3 million at the local box office. That performance placed Lee Min-ho’s The Assassin(s) firmly at the top of Korea’s Chuseok holiday chart and signaled major audience interest in prestige thrillers rooted in modern Korean history.
Lee Min-ho’s The Assassin(s) Tops the Chuseok Box Office
The Chuseok holiday is one of South Korea’s most important theatrical corridors, often serving as a major test for local and imported releases alike. In that competitive frame, Lee Min-ho’s The Assassin(s) emerged as the weekend’s standout title, recording 1,546,614 admissions and KRW15.3 billion in revenue during its first five days in cinemas.
Its victory is especially notable because Chuseok regularly attracts a crowded release calendar, with studios positioning high-profile films to capitalize on family gatherings and increased cinema traffic. The film’s strong start suggests it connected with audiences seeking a blend of political intrigue, suspense, and star power.
Why the opening matters
- It confirms strong drawing power for Lee Min-ho in a serious big-screen role.
- It shows continued audience appetite for historical thrillers in Korea.
- It highlights the box office value of festival premieres when paired with a timely domestic release.
What The Assassin(s) Is About
Directed by Hur Jin-ho, Lee Min-ho’s The Assassin(s) centers on the attempted assassination of South Korean President Park Chung-hee in 1974, an event that also led to the death of the First Lady. Rather than presenting the incident as a straightforward political reenactment, the film follows three men trying to uncover the truth behind what happened.
The story brings together:
- A senior inspector, played by Yoo Hai-jin
- A veteran journalist, played by Park Hae-il
- A rookie reporter, played by Lee Min-ho
As the trio investigates, they face mounting threats to both their careers and their lives. That setup gives the film the mechanics of a conspiracy thriller while grounding it in real historical trauma, a combination that often performs well with audiences looking for both entertainment and substance.
Star Power and Festival Buzz Fueled Interest
A major part of the appeal behind Lee Min-ho’s The Assassin(s) is its cast. Lee Min-ho remains one of Korea’s most recognizable global stars, while Park Hae-il and Yoo Hai-jin bring considerable dramatic credibility and box office trust. Together, they create a lineup that appeals to both mainstream viewers and more serious film audiences.
The Toronto International Film Festival premiere also gave the project added prestige before its domestic debut. Festival exposure can elevate audience expectations, attract media attention, and frame a release as an event picture rather than just another commercial title. In this case, that strategy appears to have worked.
Key ingredients behind the strong debut
- High-profile cast with broad local and international appeal
- Historically charged subject matter
- TIFF premiere that boosted visibility
- Strategic release during the Chuseok holiday
How the Korean Box Office Looks Beyond The Assassin(s)
While Lee Min-ho’s The Assassin(s) led the holiday frame, it faced notable competition. Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub, a sequel to the well-known gambling franchise, opened in second place with just over $6 million and 813,842 admissions. That result underlines the strength of local titles during holiday periods, even when one film clearly dominates the conversation.
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey ranked third for the week, adding another $5 million and pushing its Korea total beyond $98 million from 11.7 million admissions. It remains the biggest imported release in the market this year so far.
Other notable performers included:
- The Intern – the Korean remake added $2.6 million for a $5.5 million total
- Obsession – the US horror title reached $6.7 million cumulative
- Possible Love – Lee Chang-dong’s Venice-winning, Netflix-backed film debuted with around $1 million in five days
The broader picture shows a healthy theatrical market where local productions, prestige cinema, franchise films, and international imports are all competing for attention.
What This Means for Korean Cinema in 2026
The success of Lee Min-ho’s The Assassin(s) points to several important trends in the Korean film industry. First, audiences continue to support original local storytelling when it is paired with compelling talent and strong marketing. Second, films inspired by politically and historically sensitive events can still thrive commercially when handled with dramatic urgency and cinematic scale.
It also reinforces the importance of release timing. Chuseok remains a powerful launchpad, but only films with clear audience appeal tend to break through the crowded field. In this case, historical subject matter, recognizable stars, and festival credibility combined into a strong commercial package.
At the year-to-date level, The King’s Warden still leads the Korean box office with $120 million from 16.9 million admissions. But the arrival of Lee Min-ho’s The Assassin(s) gives the market a fresh contender to watch in the weeks ahead, especially if word of mouth remains strong.
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Conclusion
Lee Min-ho’s The Assassin(s) has delivered exactly what studios hope for from a holiday release: urgency, conversation, and strong ticket sales. By combining historical drama with investigative thriller elements and a bankable cast, the film has claimed the Chuseok box office crown and positioned itself as one of Korea’s key theatrical stories of the year. If its momentum holds, Lee Min-ho’s The Assassin(s) could become more than a holiday hit—it may stand as one of 2026’s defining Korean film successes.
