“Avatar: Fire and Ash“” continued to dominate the Korean box office during the weekend of January 2–4, grossing $5.2 million from 630,640 admissions. The latest installment in James Cameron's sci-fi franchise has grossed $44.4 million in Korea since its release on Dec. 17, according to KOBIS, a tracking service run by the Korean Film Council.
South Korean romantic drama debuted in second place.”Once upon a time we were us“, which opened with $1.8 million from 263,925 admissions. Directed by Kim Tae-young, the film is about two former lovers who unexpectedly cross paths years after their breakup, facing unresolved emotions and the lives they built separately. The film stars Park Bo-young and Yoo Yeon-seok and has grossed $3.2 million at the box office to date.
“Zootopia 2came in third place, adding $1.6 million per frame and raising its cumulative total to $53.9 million, solidifying its status as one of the highest-grossing animated releases in Korea.
In fourth place, “Even If This Love Fade From the World Tonight” earned $789,934, bringing the total to $4.4 million. Directed by Kim Hye-young, based on the novel by Ichijo Misaki, it stars Joo Yeon-woo and Shin Si-ah in the bittersweet high school romance centered on a girl with anterograde amnesia whose memories are reset every morning.
“Chorus of God” debuted fifth with $401,938, pushing its total to $7,732,062. The film chronicles North Korea's attempts to circumvent international sanctions by seeking help from a Hungarian NGO to build churches in Pyongyang.
Japanese animated film Crayon Shinchan the Movie: Super Hot! The Spicy Kasukabe Dancers” came in sixth place with $333,136, bringing the total to $2.6 million.
“Spongebob movie: Search for SquarePants” opened in seventh place with $200,128, and Warner Bros. Tom and Jerry: The Forbidden Compass came in eighth with $79,311 and now has a gross of $162,873.
“The Movie Pororo: Adventures in Sweet Castle” continued its family-friendly run in ninth place, earning $78,315 and pushing its total to $1.4 million.
Rounding out the top 10 was the 25th anniversary special edition of Wong Kar-wai's classic In the Mood for Love, which earned $73,023 from limited showings.
The top ten films combined to gross $10.6 million, up from last weekend's $14.02 million.
