List of highest-grossing films in South Korea
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following are lists of the highest-grossing domestic films in South Korea by admissions and gross nationwide.
Characteristics
Story-wise, films with more than 10 million admissions tend to have a single protagonist, emotional bond with the audience, multi-layered conflicts, a central idea, and familiar stories. They also reflect the social situation and history of Korea.[1] Power of the distributor and marketing, social issues, and summer and winter vacation release also affect performance.[2]
Domestic films by admissions
This is listed by the tickets sold nationwide, as of April 12, 2026, according to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC).[3] However, information on KOFIC was accrued since 2004, making some films that released before 2004 either not included or not accurate regarding number of admissions. Number of admissions for films that released before 2004 was collected from trusted articles or news.[4]
Background shading indicates films are currently playing in theaters.
Foreign films by admissions
Foreign films are listed by the tickets sold nationwide, as of December 9, 2022.[5][6]
Background shading indicates films are currently playing in theaters.
Animated films by admissions
| Rank | English title | Title in Korean | Admissions | Year | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frozen II | 겨울왕국 2 | 13,750,668 | 2019 | United States |
| 2 | Frozen | 겨울왕국 | 10,305,051 | 2013 | United States |
| 3 | Inside Out 2 | 인사이드 아웃 2 | 8,799,611 | 2024 | United States |
| 4 | Zootopia 2 | 주토피아 2 | 8,604,185 | 2025 | United States |
| 5 | Elemental | 엘리멘탈 | 7,238,453 | 2023 | United States |
| 6 | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle | 귀멸의 칼날: 무한성편 | 5,686,958 | 2025 | Japan |
| 7 | Suzume | 스즈메의 문단속 | 5,542,245 | 2023 | Japan |
| 8 | Kung Fu Panda 2 | 쿵푸팬더 2 | 5,064,796 | 2011 | United States |
| 9 | Inside Out | 인사이드 아웃 | 4,971,192 | 2015 | United States |
| 10 | The Lion King | 라이온 킹 | 4,743,295 | 2019 | United States |
| 11 | Zootopia | 주토피아 | 4,707,962 | 2016 | United States |
| 12 | The First Slam Dunk | 더 퍼스트 슬램덩크 | 4,702,083 | 2023 | Japan |
| 13 | Kung Fu Panda | 쿵푸팬더 | 4,650,000 | 2008 | United States |
| 14 | Kung Fu Panda 3 | 쿵푸팬더 3 | 3,984,814 | 2016 | United States |
| 15 | Your Name | 너의 이름은 | 3,864,065 | 2016 | Japan |
| 16 | Coco | 코코 | 3,516,880 | 2017 | United States |
| 17 | Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc | 극장판 체인소 맨: 레제편 | 3,427,755 | 2025 | Japan |
| 18 | Toy Story 4 | 토이 스토리 4 | 3,400,623 | 2019 | United States |
| 19 | Despicable Me 3 | 슈퍼배드 3 | 3,324,874 | 2017 | United States |
| 20 | Shrek 2 | 슈렉 2 | 3,300,000 | 2004 | United States |
Korean domestic animated films
| Rank | English title | Title in Korean | Admissions | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leafie, A Hen into the Wild | 마당을 나온 암탉 | 2,204,870 | 2011 |
| 2 | Heartsping: Teenieping of Love | 사랑의 하츄핑 | 1,232,364 | 2024 |
| 3 | The Dino king: Speckles the Tarbosaurus 3D | 점박이: 한반도의 공룡 3D | 1,051,710 | 2012 |
| 4 | Pororo, The Racing Adventure | 뽀로로 극장판 슈퍼썰매 대모험 | 931,953 | 2013 |
| 5 | The Haunted House: The Sky Ghost VS Jormungandr | 신비아파트 극장판 하늘도깨비 대 요르문간드 | 894,826 | 2019 |
| 6 | Hello Carbot: The Cretaceous Period | 극장판 헬로카봇: 백악기 시대 | 880,776 | 2018 |
| 7 | Pororo, Dinosaur Island Adventure | 뽀로로 극장판 공룡섬 대모험 | 827,338 | 2017 |
| 8 | Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs | 레드슈즈 | 817,729 | 2019 |
| 9 | Pororo: Treasure Island Adventure | 뽀로로 극장판 보물섬 대모험 | 762,000 | 2019 |
| 10 | The Haunted House: The Secret of the Cave | 신비아파트: 금빛 도깨비와 비밀의 동굴 | 678,264 | 2018 |
Domestic films by gross
This is a list of box office gross of domestic films in South Korea (adjusted for inflation) from 2004 to July 7, 2022, in South Korean won and US dollar according to the Korean Film Council.[7]
Background shading indicates films are currently playing in theaters.
| Rank | Title | Genre | Number of Screens | Distributor | Gross (₩) | Gross ($) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The King's Warden | Historical drama film | 2,262 | Showbox | 153,156,177,222 | 101,412,485 | 2026 |
| 2 | Extreme Job | Action comedy film | 2,003 | CJ Entertainment | 139,616,194,600 | 118,689,919 | 2019 |
| 3 | The Admiral: Roaring Currents | Historical war film | 1,587 | 135,754,920,310 | 121,480,913 | 2014 | |
| 4 | The Roundup | Crime action film | 2,521 | ABO Entertainment | 129,279,608,240 | 99,506,310 | 2022 |
| 5 | 12.12: The Day | Historical action drama | 2,463 | Megabox Plus M | 119,139,145,117 | 90,911,213 | 2023 |
| 6 | Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds | Fantasy drama film | 1,912 | Lotte Entertainment | 115,706,188,137 | 103,540,502 | 2017 |
| 7 | Exhuma | Supernatural horror | 2,367 | Showbox | 114,768,824,260 | 83,128,633 | 2024 |
| 8 | Ode to My Father | Drama film | 1,044 | CJ Entertainment | 110,937,282,730 | 99,272,736 | 2014 |
| 9 | The Roundup: Punishment | Crime action film | 2,980 | ABO Entertainment | 110,032,719,817 | 79,337,169 | 2024 |
| 10 | Veteran | Action crime comedy | 1,115 | CJ Entertainment | 105,169,264,250 | 94,111,198 | 2015 |
| 11 | Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days | Fantasy drama film | 2,235 | Lotte Entertainment | 102,659,157,909 | 91,861,637 | 2018 |
| 12 | Assassination | Espionage action film | 1,519 | Showbox | 98,467,187,781 | 88,113,815 | 2015 |
| 13 | A Taxi Driver | Drama film | 1,906 | Showbox | 95,868,830,649 | 85,789,845 | 2017 |
| 14 | The Thieves | Heist film | 1,091 | Showbox | 93,667,250,500 | 83,818,569 | 2012 |
| 15 | Train to Busan | Zombie apocalypse thriller | 1,788 | Next Entertainment World | 93,182,579,048 | 83,384,858 | 2016 |
| 16 | Miracle in Cell No. 7 | Comedy drama film | 866 | Next Entertainment World | 91,433,282,670 | 81,819,492 | 2013 |
| 17 | Masquerade | Historical drama film | 1,001 | CJ Entertainment | 88,909,157,769 | 79,560,973 | 2012 |
| 18 | Parasite | Comedy crime drama thriller film | 1,948 | 87,460,503,095 | 79,799,729 | 2019 | |
| 19 | The Attorney | Courtroom drama film | 925 | Next Entertainment World | 82,872,378,800 | 74,158,728 | 2013 |
| 20 | Tidal Wave | Disaster film | 764 | CJ Entertainment | 81,025,841,000 | 72,506,345 | 2009 |
| 21 | Exit | Action comedy film | 1,660 | Filmmaker R & K | 79,234,922,162 | 72,294,637 | 2019 |
| 22 | A Violent Prosecutor | Crime film | 1,812 | Showbox | 77,320,403,264 | 69,190,517 | 2016 |
| 23 | Inside Men | Political crime drama | 1,129 | 73,578,935,864[failed verification] | 65,842,529 | 2015 | |
| 24 | Snowpiercer | Science fiction film | 1,128 | CJ Entertainment | 67,012,370,200 | 59,966,401 | 2013 |
| 25 | The Host | Monster film | 647 | Showbox | 66,716,104,300 | 59,701,285 | 2006 |
| 26 | The Pirates | Period adventure film | 910 | Lotte Entertainment | 66,372,140,706 | 59,393,415 | 2014 |
| 27 | King and the Clown | Historical drama | 313 | CJ Entertainment | 66,015,436,600 | 59,074,290 | 2005 |
| 28 | The Face Reader | Historical drama | 1,240 | Showbox | 66,009,791,500 | 59,069,196 | 2013 |
| 29 | Confidential Assignment | Action film | 1,392 | CJ Entertainment | 63,783,051,326 | 57,076,809 | 2017 |
| 30 | Miss Granny | Comedy drama film | 1,027 | 62,714,008,819 | 56,121,653 | 2014 | |
| 31 | The Age of Shadows | Action spy film | 1,444 | Warner Bros | 61,270,079,831 | 54,827,812 | 2016 |
| 32 | The Himalayas | Drama film | 1,095 | CJ Entertainment | 60,175,363,015 | 53,848,200 | 2015 |
| 33 | 1987: When the Day Comes | Drama film | 1,299 | 58,166,910,145 | 52,051,008 | 2017 | |
| 34 | Master | Crime action film | 1,501 | 58,068,236,865 | 51,947,863 | 2016 | |
| 35 | Take Off | Drama action comedy | 570 | Showbox | 57,570,773,000 | 51,517,470 | 2009 |
| 36 | Tunnel | Survival drama film | 1,105 | 57,530,028,417 | 51,481,010 | 2016 | |
| 37 | Luck Key | Comedy film | 1,234 | 56,445,023,256 | 50,510,088 | 2016 | |
| 38 | The Outlaws | Crime action film | 1,315 | Megabox Plus M | 56,322,098,349 | 50,400,137 | 2017 |
| 39 | The Wailing | Horror film | 1,485 | 20th Century Fox | 55,864,308,382 | 49,990,433 | 2016 |
| 40 | War of the Arrows | Period action film | 615 | Lotte Entertainment | 55,827,861,500 | 49,957,818 | 2011 |
| 41 | Operation Chromite | War drama film | 1,049 | CJ Entertainment | 55,105,606,303 | 49,311,505 | 2016 |
| 42 | Sunny | Comedy drama film | 546 | 54,037,760,700 | 48,356,631 | 2011 | |
| 43 | Scandal Makers | Comedy film | 408 | Lotte Entertainment | 53,801,341,400 | 48,144,377 | 2008 |
| 44 | The Berlin File | Spy thriller film | 894 | CJ Entertainment | 52,537,006,637 | 46,852,013 | 2013 |
| 45 | The Battleship Island | Action drama film | 2,027 | 50,510,565,168 | 45,166,848 | 2017 | |
| 46 | D-War | Fantasy action film | 622 | Showbox | 49,340,084,700 | 44,152,201 | 2007 |
| 47 | The Throne | Historical period drama | 1,210 | 48,845,771,500 | 43,710,108 | 2015 | |
| 48 | Secretly, Greatly | Action comedy film | 1,341 | 48,700,887,413 | 43,580,212 | 2013 | |
| 49 | The Man from Nowhere | Action thriller film | 501 | CJ Entertainment | 47,103,592,500 | 42,151,283 | 2010 |
| 50 | A Werewolf Boy | Fantasy romance film | 854 | 46,594,767,400 | 41,695,583 | 2012 | |
Highest grossing films by year
The highest grossing films of each year, annually.[8][9]
Background shading indicates film is currently the highest-grossing film of that year.