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12.12: The Day Achieves 10 Million Admissions, Marks Milestone in 2023 Cinema

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 entertainment
Rapidly 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.

Sayart

Kelly.K, pittou8181@gmail.com 

Kelly.K

Kelly.K

K-pop, K-Fashion, K-Drama News, International Art, Korean Art

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