The Assassin(s) has passed 1.3 million admissions in South Korea after opening on September 23. The historical thriller led the country’s box office for four straight days during the Chuseok holiday, according to Korean Film Council figures reported September 27. Director Hur Jin-ho’s film stars Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il and Lee Min-ho as a detective and two journalists drawn into the investigation of a 1974 shooting.
What the new box-office numbers show
The film sold 432,341 tickets on Saturday, September 26, bringing its running total to more than 1.3 million by Sunday’s report. It reached the one-million mark only a few days after its Wednesday premiere. The Korean report also said it had led advance ticket sales for eight straight days by Sunday morning. These are admissions in Korean theaters, not worldwide ticket sales or revenue, and the total will keep changing as the film continues its run.
The story is set around the August 15, 1974 shooting at a ceremony in South Korea. The attack was aimed at then-president Park Chung-hee and killed first lady Yuk Young-soo. The movie uses that real event as the starting point for a fictionalized investigation. Its questions about motives and hidden figures are part of the film’s thriller plot, not findings established by this article.
Who plays the detective and reporters?
Who’s who in The Assassin(s)
- Cheol-guPlayed by Yoo Hae-jin
- Jae-hwanPlayed by Park Hae-il
- Young-ilPlayed by Lee Min-ho
Yoo Hae-jin plays Cheol-gu, a detective who was handling security at the event. Park Hae-il plays Jae-hwan, an editor in the newspaper’s social-affairs department. Lee Min-ho plays Young-il, a new reporter who was at the ceremony. Together, the characters investigate what happened and face pressure as they pursue the story.
The main trailer shows the newsroom, official briefings and the public panic that follows the shooting. It moves between the police and the press so viewers can see why all three leads are involved. The official trailer is playable on this page; the images here are clear frames with the trailer’s black top and bottom bands removed.
How the filmmakers recreated 1974
Post-production company Dexter Studios says its color team studied photo albums from the 1970s and 1980s for the movie’s look. Its sound team used archival material as a reference for gunshots, cars, sirens, phones, radios and newsrooms. That work helps establish the period in scenes where characters are piecing together the case.
The film is playing in South Korean theaters now. A confirmed streaming service or release date for other countries was not available in the sources checked for this story, so the movie page does not list one. Its official poster, more clear stills, cast guide and trailer are on the related Pixel Twelve film page.
