The South Korean box office welcomed a new leader as crime thriller “Yadang: the Snitch” opened in first place with $4.1 million, commanding 69.8% of weekend revenues.
Directed by Hwang Byeng-Gug and starring “Squid Game 2″ actor Kang Ha-neul, “Yadang: the Snitch,” is from the producers behind record-breaking hit “12:12 The Day” and “Inside Men.” It follows a professional informant called “yadang” who provides covert information about the drug world to prosecutors and police. When a drug bust at a party attended by high-profile second-generation VIPs leads to a dangerous conspiracy, the yadang must fight to survive. The film pairs Kang with “Exhuma” star Yoo Hai-jin and “The World of the Married” actor Park Hae-joon.
The April 16 release drew 608,104 admissions from April 18 to 20 across 1,832 screens, according to Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council. The film’s cumulative total already stands at $5.2 million with 786,032 total admissions, marking one of the strongest domestic openings of the year so far.
This robust performance helped lift the overall top 10 box office to $5.4 million, a significant jump from last weekend’s more subdued $3.4 million.
Slipping to second place, previous chart-topper “The Match” added $705,043 with 105,817 weekend admissions. The sports drama, now in its fourth week, has grossed $13.1 million with just under 2 million admissions to date.
“Attack on Titan The Movie: The Last Attack” continued its steady run, placing third with $171,764 and 22,435 additional admissions. The anime finale has now earned $5.3 million in Korea from over 752,000 viewers.
In a limited pre-release run ahead of its April 26 nationwide launch, “A Minecraft Movie” debuted in fourth with $171,633 and 20,916 admissions across just 83 screens, matching “Attack on Titan” in revenue share at 2.9%.
Opening in fifth, “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” brought in $77,951 from 11,720 viewers. The British romantic comedy, a continuation of the beloved franchise, has reached $191,408 in Korea since its midweek release.
Animated feature “Flow” added $57,600 in its sixth weekend, pushing its cumulative total to $1.1 million with 166,713 admissions.
Biographical drama “Maria,” starring Angelina Jolie, opened in seventh place with $39,819 and 6,272 admissions, while Japanese horror “Sayuri” followed close behind with $38,476 and 5,635 admissions.
Espionage thriller “The Amateur” dropped to ninth, earning $37,363 from 5,602 weekend viewers. The film’s Korean total stands at $610,758 from 92,548 admissions.
Rounding out the top 10, musical anime “Colorful Stage! The Movie: A Miku Who Can’t Sing” brought in $39,872 from 26 screens, drawing 5,444 viewers over the weekend.
