This year's Korean film 'The Owner of the World' surpassed 100,000 viewers.
On the 14th, the film The Owner of the World (director Yoon Ga-eun, provided/distributed by Barunson E&A, produced by Semosi, Bolmedia) announced the news of surpassing 100,000 viewers that day.
The Owner of the World is a film that depicts the story that unfolds when an inscrutable 18-year-old high school girl named "Joo-in," caught between being popular and seeking attention, single-handedly refuses a schoolwide petition that all students participated in and then begins receiving mysterious notes. On its 24th day since release, today (the 14th) it surpassed 100,000 cumulative viewers. Among Korean independent art films released this year, excluding animation, only three works have exceeded 100,000 viewers including The Owner of the World. With this 100,000 breakthrough, The Owner of the World overtook "Homecam" (100,007) and rose to No. 2 in the box office ranking for Korean independent art feature films. Even entering its fourth week since release, sustained audience interest and favorable reviews, along with continuing relay support screenings, have kept The Owner of the World maintaining a stable presence within the box office top 10. Although the number of screens has decreased compared with its opening week, the seat occupancy rate has remained stable without major fluctuation, raising expectations about whether it can surpass the highest-grossing Korean independent art feature film of the year, "It's okay, it's okay, it's okay!" (cumulative 118,411).
Actors Seo Soo-bin (Joo-in), Jang Hye-jin (Tae-seon) and Lee Jae-hee (Hae-in), who received the news of The Owner of the World's 100,000 breakthrough, sent thank-you stills containing handwritten messages. Seo Soo-bin conveyed the message, 10,000 people created Joo-in's world, thank you sincerely, and Jang Hye-jin sent the greeting, Thank you infinitely, owners. Lee Jae-hee, through a letter that filled the paper, wrote, While playing Hae-in I think I came to understand a little what it means to want to protect someone you love, and added a heartfelt message, To all the owners in the world like Nuna and everyone else, I will always cheer for all your worries and anxieties to disappear. Be happy, yap!
The Owner of the World is director Yoon Ga-eun's third feature film, after Our School and Our Home, and the work drew global attention even before its release as it was invited to prestigious international film festivals. In particular, it was the first and only Korean film invited to the competition section of the Toronto International Film Festival, swept two awards at the Pingyao International Film Festival, and won the FIPRESCI Prize at the Warsaw International Film Festival, confirming worldwide expectations for director Yoon Ga-eun. Also, despite the frozen entry of Korean films into the Chinese market after the THAAD restrictions, thanks to the strong response from local audiences at the Pingyao International Film Festival, an unusually quick confirmation of a Chinese distributor was achieved. Domestically, it drew explosive praise from the Korean media and critics immediately after being shown at the press and industry screening, and celebrities who watched the film earlier, including Kim Hye-soo, Kim Tae-ri, Kim Eui-sung and Song Eun-i, held voluntary support screenings, while opinion leaders inside and outside the film industry, such as Bong Joon-ho, Yeon Sang-ho and Kim Eun-hee, actively expressed support through audience discussions, generating interest.
With the continuing box office momentum into its fourth week and approaching the highest-grossing film of 2025, Yoon Ga-eun's The Owner of the World is now showing widely in theaters.
[photo] provided by Barunson E&A.
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