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Total H1 revenue of KRW 579.0 billion and 57.05 million admissions, with Korean films driving the recovery

Total film industry revenue in the first half of 2026 reached KRW 579.0 billion, with 57.05 million admissions — up 41.9% (KRW 171.1 billion) and 34.2% (14.55 million admissions) year-on-year, respectively.

Korean films led the box office recovery this half. Korean-film revenue came to KRW 370.2 billion with 37.37 million admissions, up 81.7% (KRW 166.5 billion) and 74.9% (16.01 million admissions) year-on-year. This marks the highest first-half revenue for Korean films since the pandemic, and revenue has now recovered to 94.2% of the pre-pandemic (2017–2019) first-half average.

Foreign films, meanwhile, generated KRW 208.8 billion in revenue with 19.68 million admissions. While admissions fell 6.9% (1.46 million) year-on-year, revenue rose slightly by 2.3% (KRW 4.6 billion), driven by titles with a high proportion of premium-format screenings such as Project Hail Mary and Avatar: Fire and Ash. (Premium-format screenings accounted for 30.2% of total revenue for Project Hail Mary and 49.9% for Avatar: Fire and Ash.)

The King's Warden becomes the highest-grossing Korean film of all time, as Korean films sweep the top three spots for H1

The King's Warden topped the H1 box office overall, earning KRW 163.1 billion from 16.91 million admissions and becoming the highest-grossing Korean film in box office history. Colony (KRW 60.5 billion / 5.74 million admissions) and Salmokji: Whispering Water (KRW 33.3 billion / 3.24 million admissions) followed in second and third place, giving Korean films a clean sweep of the top three. Notably, strong performances came not only from period dramas and action blockbusters but also from mid- and small-budget romance and horror titles, reflecting a more diverse range of genres and scales among successful Korean releases this half.

Premium-format screening revenue continues its growth streak; average ticket price rises year-on-year

Total revenue from premium-format screenings reached KRW 45.7 billion in H1, up 56.3% year-on-year. Premium formats accounted for 7.9% of total H1 revenue, continuing a steady upward trend since the pandemic as theaters increasingly use such formats to differentiate their offerings. Driven by this growth in premium-format revenue alongside a broader rise in ticket prices, the average ticket price for H1 rose by KRW 551 year-on-year to KRW 10,150.

Showbox tops the H1 distributor rankings, with all four of its releases performing well at the box office

Among distributors, Showbox Corp. took a commanding lead with a 48.6% revenue share (KRW 281.4 billion), having distributed four films — The King's Warden, Colony, Salmokji: Whispering Water, and Once We Were Us — all of which performed well. The Walt Disney Company Korea followed in second place with a 13.8% revenue share (KRW 43.1 billion), having distributed nine titles including Avatar: Fire and Ash, Toy Story 5, and The Devil Wears Prada.

Low-budget horror film Backrooms tops H1 independent/arthouse box office

Backrooms, a low-budget horror film based on an internet creepypasta that also performed strongly in North America, topped the H1 independent/arthouse box office with KRW 12.4 billion in revenue and 1.16 million admissions. RAN 12.3 and My Name followed in second and third place, respectively, for independent/arthouse box office.

Published under Public Domain Mark (Korea Open Government License — Attribution). For further inquiries regarding this release, please contact the person in charge. Source: Korean Film Council (KOFIC).