The film Salmokji: Whispering Water surpassed 3.15 million viewers, overtaking A Tale of Two Sisters after 23 years to become the No. 1 Korean horror film, and the production company CEO expressed awe at the milestone.
On the 17th, according to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) integrated box office system, the film Salmokji: Whispering Water (director Lee Sung-min, provided/distributed by SHOWBOX, produced by The Lamp) surpassed a cumulative audience of 3.15 million. With this, Salmokji: Whispering Water exceeded the roughly 3.10 million viewers recorded by the 2003 film A Tale of Two Sisters, becoming the No. 1 highest-grossing horror film in Korean box office history in 23 years. We asked Park Eun-kyung, CEO of The Lamp, for her reflections.
On the 17th, CEO Park Eun-kyung told OSEN by phone that she still felt stunned, expressing special emotions about Salmokji: Whispering Water's performance. In particular, she said, Many people helped and liked the film, so it achieved good results, and I am truly grateful. I think this result was possible thanks to everyone's help, emphasizing deep appreciation not only for the cast and crew but also for the audiences who supported Salmokji: Whispering Water.
The previous No. 1 Korean box office horror film, A Tale of Two Sisters, remains an immortal classic beloved by a strong fanbase. CEO Park Eun-kyung also said forcefully, A Tale of Two Sisters is a work I personally love very much. She added, I don't mean that it had more viewers or is a better work; I think the significance lies in the fact that, after 23 years, a film that audiences come to see has emerged. She added forcefully that she expects many more good works to be found by audiences even after Salmokji: Whispering Water.
Earlier, the Salmokji: Whispering Water team attracted attention with events such as surprise stage greetings in which the cast appeared in ghost makeup to repay the support for the film. With the great achievement of becoming the No. 1 Korean horror film, might there be more events to come?
CEO Park Eun-kyung said she had not yet discussed any special events, noting, As you know, the Cannes Film Festival is currently underway. Many members of the Salmokji: Whispering Water team are at Cannes. She added that perhaps after returning from the festival they could discuss the (No. 1 horror film) achievement. Because it is a meaningful record, she said she would like to meet audiences again in another good form.
Salmokji: Whispering Water is a horror film in which an unidentified shape appears on a road-view image, and the filming crew, who head to the reservoir for reshoots, encounter something in the black, deep water. It opened on the 8th of last month and achieved unusual box office success even during the spring, a slow season for horror films. Riding that success, the area near Salmokji reservoir in Daeri, Gwangsi-myeon, Yesan County, South Chungcheong Province — the actual location that inspired the film — has been talked about like a tourist attraction, drawing intense interest.
[Photo] Provided by SHOWBOX and The Lamp; source: Korean Film Council (KOFIC) integrated box office system.
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