After years of struggling to recover from the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, Korea’s film industry is finally showing signs of life again. Driven by a string of local box office successes led by the historical drama “King’s Warden,” Korean films have regained momentum in theaters this year, raising hopes that the industry may be emerging from one of the most difficult periods in its history. According to data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), the nation’s theaters attracted 31.9 million admissions during the first quarter of 2026, up 53.2 percent from 20.82 million a year earlier. Total box office revenue rose 58.7 percent year-on-year to 318 billion won ($211.2 million). Korean films accounted for much of that recovery. Domestic films generated 233.3 billion won in ticket sales and drew 24.01 million viewers during the January-March period, more than double the previous year. The biggest contributor was “King’s Warden,” which became a rare phenomenon in the postpandemic era. The film, which was released Feb. 4, attracted 15.73 million viewers in the first quarter alone and has sinc
Can Korean cinema sustain its rebound?
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