Harbin Surpasses 2 Million Viewers in Just Five Days

The film '하얼빈' (Harbin) has successfully attracted nearly 500,000 viewers during its second weekend, maintaining the top spot at the box office for two consecutive weeks. In contrast, '보고타: 마지막 기회의 땅' (Bogotá: The Last Chance Land), starring Song Joong-ki, only managed to draw 100,000 viewers in its opening weekend.

From January 3 to 5, '하얼빈' recorded 483,916 admissions, bringing its total audience count to 3.67 million. If the current trend continues, it is expected to reach the 4 million mark soon. As of January 6 at 6:40 AM, '하얼빈' remains at the top of the pre-sale rankings with approximately 40,000 tickets sold, although its break-even point is estimated at around 6.5 million viewers.

Directed by Woo Min-ho, known for '내부자들' (The Insider, 2015) and '남산의 부장들' (The Drug King, 2020), '하얼빈' dramatizes the assassination of Ito Hirobumi, the first governor-general of Korea, by independence activist Ahn Jung-geun. The film explores the struggles and human anguish faced by Ahn and his fellow activists in their quest to eliminate Ito. Hyun Bin portrays Ahn Jung-geun, with supporting performances from Park Jung-min, Jo Woo-jin, Lee Dong-wook, Park Hoon, and Jeon Yeo-been.

During the same period, '소방관' (Firefighters) ranked second with 129,252 viewers, accumulating a total of 3.55 million. '보고타: 마지막 기회의 땅' secured third place with 102,977 viewers, bringing its total to 320,000.

Despite featuring Song Joong-ki, Lee Hee-joon, and Kwon Hae-hyo, '보고타: 마지막 기회의 땅' struggled to gain traction, raising concerns about its future box office performance. The film, set against the backdrop of the 1997 financial crisis, tells the story of a man who travels to Bogotá, Colombia, to support his family. It is directed by Kim Sung-jae, who previously helmed '소수의견' (Minority Opinion, 2015).

The weekend box office rankings also included '수퍼 소닉3' (Sonic the Hedgehog 3) in fourth place with 89,891 viewers (totaling 200,000) and '뽀로로 극장판 바닷속 대모험' (Pororo: The Adventure Under the Sea) in fifth with 83,655 viewers (totaling 190,000).