Historical Drama Becomes Second Film to Surpass 10 Million Tickets in South Korea

Courtesy of plusm entertainment

On Sunday, 12.12: The Day, a historical saga depicting South Korea's military coup in 1979, reached a notable milestone by surpassing 10 million admissions, as reported by the film's local distributor, Plus M Entertainment. Achieving this feat 32 days after its release on Nov. 22, the movie stands as the second film of 2023 to attain such a significant viewership.

Directed by Kim Sung-su, 12.12: The Day recounts the intense nine-hour confrontation between Chun Doo-kwang, head of the Defense Security Command orchestrating a military coup on Dec. 12, 1979, and Capital Defense Cdr. Lee Tae-shin, who opposes the coup. The film, featuring actors Hwang Jung-min and Jung Woo-sung in the main roles, combines real events with fictional elements and characters. 

▲ Courtesy of plusm entertainmentRapidly gaining popularity and maintaining its position as the top film at the local box office for 28 consecutive days, 12.12: The Day relinquished its box-office dominance only on Tuesday when "Noryang: Deadly Sea," the final installment of director Kim Han-min's trilogy, opened.

This achievement makes 12.12: The Day the 31st film ever to surpass 10 million admissions in South Korea and the 22nd among Korean films. Notably, it is the fourth film since the COVID-19 pandemic to reach this milestone, joining the ranks of "The Roundup" (2022), "Avatar: The Way of Water" (2022), and "The Roundup: No Way Out" (2023), making it the sole non-sequential film among them.

The film's sustained appeal is evident as it continues to draw audiences even a month after its debut, prompting speculation on its potential to surpass the total admissions of "No Way Out" (10.68 million). If realized, 12.12: The Day would secure its place as the most-viewed film released in South Korea in 2023.

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