'The Owner of the World' Dominates Korean Indie Box Office with Over 30,000 Viewers in 5 Days

The film 'The Owner of the World' has topped the Korean independent film box office for five consecutive days since its release, surpassing 30,000 viewers thanks to positive word-of-mouth, and is showing signs of becoming a sleeper hit.

Directed by Yoon Ga-eun, 'The Owner of the World' surpassed 30,000 cumulative viewers just five days after its release, maintaining its position as the number one Korean independent film at the box office during its opening week. The film tells the story of an enigmatic 18-year-old high school girl named Joo-in, who begins receiving mysterious notes after she alone refuses to participate in a school-wide petition. The film stars newcomer Seo Soo-bin and Yoon Ga-eun's muse, Jang Hye-jin. Industry veterans such as Kim Hye-soo, Song Eun-yi, Kim Tae-ri, Kim Eui-sung, Bae Sung-woo, Ryu Hyun-kyung, Go Ah-sung, and Park Jung-min have shown their support by participating in 'relay support screenings,' generating buzz across various platforms.

On its opening day, 'The Owner of the World' attracted 4,241 viewers, surpassing the opening scores of Yoon Ga-eun's previous works. The film has continued its upward trajectory, fueled by word-of-mouth. On the second day, October 23, it recorded 2,912 viewers, followed by 5,459 viewers on the third day, October 24, marking an 87% increase from the previous day. The film drew a clear upward curve from Thursday to Friday. Over the opening weekend, more than 16,000 viewers attended, pushing the cumulative total to over 30,000 in just five days. Notably, more viewers attended on Sunday (8,273) than on Saturday (8,143), an unusual weekend trend. The seat occupancy rate also reached a high of 16.2%. The CGV Golden Egg Index, which measures audience satisfaction, rose from 96% to 98%.

'The Owner of the World' is currently showing in theaters.

By Ji-won Kim, TenAsia Reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr