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| ▲ This poster of South Korean film "Lobby," directed by and starring Ha Jung-woo, is provided by film distributor Showbox. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- South Korean film Lobby, directed by and starring Ha Jung-woo, debuted at No. 2 at the box office, unable to surpass the ongoing success of The Match.
According to the Korean Film Council's integrated ticketing network on Thursday, Lobby attracted approximately 37,000 viewers (27.0 percent revenue share) on its opening day, placing second at the box office.
This black comedy, Ha Jung-woo’s first directorial work in a decade since Chronicle of a Blood Merchant (2015), follows Chang-wook (played by Ha Jung-woo), a startup CEO who knows nothing but research, as he starts playing golf for lobbying purposes to secure a government project.
The film received a mixed reception, with a CGV Golden Egg Index score of 82 percent. While the witty, pun-based dialogue and strong ensemble cast have been well received, some viewers have criticized the film’s storytelling as disjointed.
Meanwhile, The Match, starring Lee Byung-hun and Yoo Ah-in, drew approximately 50,000 viewers (36.9 percent revenue share) on the same day, maintaining its No. 1 spot for the ninth consecutive day.
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| ▲ A poster for |
Its cumulative audience has now surpassed 870,000, aiming to reach the 1 million milestone over the weekend.
As of 9 a.m. that day, The Match had the highest pre-sale ticket rate among current films, at 25.2 percent (57,000 reserved tickets). Lobby followed closely with a 15.5 percent pre-sale rate and 35,000 reserved tickets.
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