The first 3 million Harbin of the New Year, Ahn Jung-geun's Soul became an invitation to Gwanghwamun

Jan 02, 2025

Attention is focusing on whether the action film 「Harbin" (directed by Woo Min-ho, produced by Hive Media Corp), which blew up the first 3 million guns of the new year, will be able to write a new box office history.

According to the Korea Film Council's integrated computer network for movie theater tickets on the 2nd, 'Harbin' mobilized 339,425 people on the 1st of the New Year's Day in 2025 to maintain the top spot in the overall box office. The cumulative audience of 'Harbin' is 3,094,690.

'Harbin' is a 1909 work that depicts a breathtaking pursuit and doubt between those heading to Harbin for one purpose and those who pursue it. The story of Ahn Jung-geun and independence fighters surrounding the Harbin uprising, which took place on October 26 of that year in 1909, the coolest and most precarious in Korean history, was added to the fun by adding suspense and action.

On December 24 last year, the signboard hanging in the theater aimed at the Christmas holiday attracted 380,000 people on the first day, setting a record for the highest opening score for Korean movies in December after the pandemic. On the 25th, the day after its release and the Christmas holiday, it immediately rang the golden bell exceeding 1 million, mobilizing 840,000 people for a day. This also added significance by achieving the record of the highest number of audiences on Christmas Day since the pandemic and recording the largest daily theater box last year. With this momentum, 'Harbin' succeeded in surpassing 2 million on the 28th, the fifth day of its release, and continued to hit 3 million on the 1st, the 9th day.

Called the second 'Seoul Spring', 'Harbin' gained sympathy from the audience by focusing on the sacrifices of many independence forces that were not known until a great deal of greatness took place than 'Harbin Geosa', which was focused on in the existing Ahn Jung-geun film. On top of that, it created a deep echo of those who delicately dealt with the desperate and lonely anguish and conflict of Ahn Jung-geun, a human being, not the hero Ahn Jung-geun.

In addition, the current situation, which is the confusion from President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of an emergency martial law to the impeachment, has also encouraged the success of 'Harbin'. Harbin', which deals with the spirit of the independent forces who did not give up until the end against injustice, reminded citizens of Gwanghwamun with impeachment sticks in the cold winter and shouted for the dismissal of President Yoon Suk Yeol, and was also nicknamed 「Gwanghwamun Invitation」. This is why 'Harbin', which has been properly viral, is inevitably different from the previous 'Ahn Jung-geun movie', which failed to hit the box office.

A press preview and press conference were held at CGV Yongsan, Seoul, on the 18th. The actors are posing. Reporter Chung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com/2024.12.18/

The first week of the new year and the second week of its release, 'Harbin', is now aiming for more than 4 million and 5 million, and plans to go straight to the box office with a goal of 6.5 million, the break-even point in the third week. However, as the national mourning continues due to the Jeju Air plane disaster, 'Harbin' will share the sadness of the people with quiet mourning rather than a toast to the box office for the time being.

soulhn1220@sportschosun.com

The first 3 million Harbin of the New Year, Ahn Jung-geun's Soul became an invitation to Gwanghwamun

K-drama