Korea Box Office: 'The King's Warden' Maintains Lead

Variety

by Naman Ramachandran

February 23, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

South Korea’s box office was dominated by the historical drama *The King's Warden* during the Lunar New Year holiday week (Feb. 16–22). The film maintained its top position with an impressive 73.76% revenue share, earning $9.5 million from 1.4 million admissions over the weekend alone. Directed by Jang Hang-jun and starring Yoo Hae-jin and Park Ji-hoon, the movie follows a village chief protecting a deposed teenage king during the Joseon Dynasty. Since its Feb. 4 debut, *The King's Warden* has grossed $39.1 million across 5.8 million admissions. In second place, the espionage thriller *Humint* earned $1.7 million from 239,370 admissions, bringing its cumulative total to $11 million. The film, directed by Ryoo Seung-wan and featuring Zo In-sung and Park Jeong-min, continues to hold strong in the competitive market. Meanwhile, the musical drama *Choir of God* secured third place with $268,734 added over the weekend, pushing its total to $8.9 million. The local horror film *App the Horror*, an anthology about a ghost-detecting app, debuted in fifth place with $233,269 from 32,349 admissions. The Indonesian animated feature *Jumbo* opened in sixth place, earning $137,669 and totaling $242,630 since its Feb. 18 release. These results highlight the diverse appeal of South Korea’s film industry during a traditionally lucrative period for family-friendly content. The box office performance underscores the significance of timing for films, particularly during major holidays like Lunar New Year. *The King's Warden*’s strong showing reflects its broad audience appeal, while other films like *Choir of God* and *App the Horror* demonstrate the market’s ability to support a range of genres. The overall box office gross reached $13 million for the weekend, up from last week’s $11.9 million. This data provides valuable insights into South Korea’s entertainment landscape, emphasizing how cultural events

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Originally published on Variety on 2/23/2026