Director Yeon Sang-ho's film "Gunche" has surpassed 3 million cumulative admissions, breaking even at the box office.
According to the Korean Film Council's integrated ticketing system on Wednesday, "Gunche" had drawn approximately 3.109 million cumulative viewers as of the previous day. Released on the 21st, the film became the fastest among this year's releases to cross the 1 million mark (Day 4), 2 million (Day 5), and 3 million (Day 10) admission thresholds in succession. Director Jang Hang-jun's "The Man Who Lives with the King" had previously crossed 3 million on its 14th day after release.
"Gunche" depicts a battle between humans and zombies as a large-scale zombie virus spreads through a major urban shopping mall. Actor Koo Kyo-hwan plays Seo Young-cheol, the villain commanding the zombie horde, while Jun Ji-hyun takes on the role of Kwon Se-jung, a bioengineer leading a group of survivors.
Industry observers say "Gunche" is demonstrating reach beyond that of a typical genre film. The global buzz generated after its premiere at the Cannes International Film Festival stoked anticipation among domestic audiences and translated into actual theater attendance, analysts said. In particular, the perception that "Yeon Sang-ho's new work must be seen in theaters" has spread by word of mouth, rapidly expanding its audience base. The freshness of the work itself is also a key factor driving audience response. The film differentiates itself by departing from the conventional K-zombie formula, combining swarming infected entities with the atmosphere of an unsettled future society. A viewing culture is also emerging in which audiences interpret and enjoy the film's worldview and setting, rather than simply consuming fright and shock.
Meanwhile, in response to the 3 million milestone, Director Yeon and the cast released photos with handwritten thank-you messages, expressing their gratitude for the box office success. Director Yeon delivered his message through a drawing of an updating infected figure that appeared to say, "Thank you to our 3 million viewers," while Koo Kyo-hwan released an overhead shot reminiscent of the film's zombie update scenes.
