'12.12: The Day' most-viewed film in S. Korea this year

▲ A poster for the Korean historical film "12.12: The Day" is displayed at a movie theater in Seoul on Dec. 22, 2023. (Yonhap)

Korean film-admission record

'12.12: The Day' most-viewed film in S. Korea this year

SEOUL, Dec. 25 (Yonhap) -- "12.12: The Day," a historical saga about South Korea's military coup in 1979, has become the most-viewed film among those released in South Korea this year, the film's local distributor said Monday.

As of 4:45 p.m. on Monday, the cumulative ticket sales of the title recorded 10.69 million, surpassing the total admissions of "The Roundup: No Way Out" (10.68 million), according to Plus M Entertainment.

The period drama topped 10 million admissions Sunday, becoming the second film to hit the milestone this year.

Since its release on Nov. 22, the film has been rapidly gaining popularity on rave reviews, topping the local box office for 28 straight days.

Its box-office reign ended only Tuesday, when "Noryang: Deadly Sea," the final installment of director Kim Han-min's trilogy about Yi Sun-sin, the legendary Korean naval admiral, opened.

Directed by Kim Sung-su, "12.12: The Day" recounts the heart-pounding nine hours of confrontation between Chun Doo-kwang, head of the Defense Security Command, who orchestrates a military coup to seize power on Dec. 12, 1979, and Capital Defense Cdr. Lee Tae-shin, who risks everything to oppose the coup.

The movie is based on real events but incorporates fictional elements and characters. Actors Hwang Jung-min and Jung Woo-sung play the two main roles.

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