“The Substance” emerged as the standout story of the South Korean box office for the weekend of Jan. 17-19, climbing to fourth place with a significant 72% increase in sales.
The film, for which Demi Moore won a Golden Globe for her performance, earned KRW307.1 million ($211,900), drawing 31,302 admissions and a 5.7% market share. This surge reflects growing audience interest in the film, which has now grossed $1.7 million since its December release.
Meanwhile, “Harbin” retained its top position. The historical drama, which follows Korean independence fighters plotting an assassination in 1909, brought in $1.2 million over the weekend, accounting for 32.7% of the market share. With 182,107 admissions, the film’s cumulative total now stands at $29.6 million.
“The Firefighters” remained in second place, earning $398,900 and capturing 10.7% of the weekend’s market share. The drama about the lives of first responders has now grossed $24.7 million.
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“Pororo the Movie: Great Adventure Under the Sea” climbed to third place, taking in $190,490 from 31,686 admissions. Its cumulative earnings stand at $1.9 million.
“Sonic the Hedgehog 3” rounded out the top five with $189,100, dropping 44.8% from the previous weekend. The film has a cumulative total of $2 million.
Further down the chart, “Forbidden Fairytale” slipped to sixth place, earning $188,005, marking a 55.9% decline in sales. The film’s cumulative gross is now $1 million.
In seventh place, “Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Our Dinosaur Diary” added $167,660, bringing its cumulative total to $4.8 million. Eighth place went to “Wicked,” which earned $129,765 for a cumulative total of $14.9 million, while “Mufasa: The Lion King” followed in ninth with $112,503 and a cumulative total of $5.6 million.
“Moana 2” completed the top 10, earning $108,871, a 32.5% decline from the previous weekend. Its cumulative total is now $22.4 million.
With “The Substance” showing remarkable growth and several holdovers facing steep declines, the Korean box office continues to see shifting dynamics as 2025 progresses.