According to the Korean Film Council's integrated ticketing system, as of 5:12 PM on June 3, ‘Goonche’ recorded a cumulative audience of 4,001,31. It reached this milestone just 14 days after its release on May 21, marking the fastest 4 million viewer count for a film released in 2026.
‘Goonche’ achieved 1 million viewers on its fourth day, 2 million on the fifth day, and 3 million on the tenth day, continuing to set records for the shortest time to reach 4 million viewers. It surpassed the break-even point within ten days of its release and is now ranked second among the highest-grossing films of 2026.
The film depicts survivors trapped in a quarantined building facing unpredictable forms of infected individuals amid an unidentified infection crisis. Directed by Yeon Sang-ho, known for expanding the zombie genre with films like ‘Train to Busan’ and ‘Peninsula,’ it features a cast that includes Jeon Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Shin Hyun-bin, Kim Shin-rok, and Go Soo.
Interest from the international film community was significant even before its release. ‘Goonche’ was officially invited to the Midnight Screenings section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, where it was first showcased to global audiences. Following its screening in Cannes, it garnered attention for its genre thrills and contemporary themes of collective intelligence and infection, creating buzz before its domestic release.
In addition to its domestic success, ‘Goonche’ is also performing well internationally. It topped the opening box office in key Asian regions including Malaysia, Taiwan, the Philippines, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
In Malaysia, where it opened on May 22, it surpassed ‘Parasite’ within three days to become the third highest-grossing Korean film, accumulating approximately 15.8 million ringgit (MYR) as of May 30, ranking second behind ‘Train to Busan.’ In Taiwan, it recorded approximately 110 million New Taiwan dollars (TWD) by May 31.
The film is also seeing success in the Philippines, where it opened on May 27 and earned about 68.5 million pesos (PHP) within five days, ranking second among the highest-grossing Korean films after ‘Train to Busan.’ In Singapore, it recorded approximately 715,000 Singapore dollars (SGD) by May 31, positioning itself among the top Korean films at the box office.
In Hong Kong, it opened on May 28, earning about 1.4 million Hong Kong dollars (HKD) on its first day, setting the highest opening box office record for a Korean film since ‘Peninsula’ in 2020. By May 31, its cumulative earnings reached approximately 6.4 million Hong Kong dollars.
With a rapid increase in audience numbers in South Korea and ongoing interest in Yeon Sang-ho's K-zombie genre abroad, attention is focused on whether ‘Goonche’ can maintain its box office momentum both domestically and internationally.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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