According to the Korean Film Council, the film No Other Choice directed by Park Chan Wook attracted 331,518 viewers on the first day of release, taking the lead at the Korean box office.
This is also the film that marks the highest opening sales of all of Park Chan Wook's works to date, surpassing "Decision to leave" (114.589 tickets), "The Handmaiden" (290.024 tickets) and "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" (279.413 tickets).
Hankook Ilbo commented that this impressive debut is especially noteworthy in the context of the current decline in the number of audiences coming to cinemas in Korea.
No Other Choice also surpassed the opening sales of previous box office blockbusters such as Exhuma (330.118 tickets) and 12.12: The Day (203.813 tickets).
Park Chan Wook's new work tells the story of Man Soo (Lee Byung Hun), an office worker who was very satisfied with his life, until he was suddenly fired. Man Soo must start a new job, protect his wife, children and their new home.
Miri (Son Ye Jin) - Man Soo's wife - is a reasonable woman who is always steadfast in all situations. Despite having to give up her personal interests and make a living amid the sudden financial difficulties, she still maintains a positive attitude. Instead of scolding, she stayed by her husband's side to comfort him, trying to preserve the family.
The film also features a cast of Park Hee Soon, Lee Sung Min, Yum Hye Ran and Cha Seung Won.
In an interview, Son Ye Jin described the humor of the film that has a strong impression on Park Chan Wook: "It is a very subtle sense of humor, and the more you think about it, the more humorous it becomes.
Because the actors have absorbed and expressed that aspect very well, the audience can really look forward to the work. I have watched this film 4 times. Usually, reviewing a film will make it less funny, but here, you will always find new laughter".
Previously, the film was released in many international film festivals such as Venice, Toronto, Busan. The Korean Film Council also selected "No Other Choice" to compete for the Best International Film award at the 2026 Oscar.
However, after the first day of release, "No Other Choice" caused Korean audiences to part ways with mixed praise and criticism.
According to Hankyung, some viewers said they felt like they were "betrayed" because the film was not as expected.Some even claim that even though they only bought 1,000 won tickets thanks to discount coupons, it was "a waste of money".Other opinions point out that the plot of the film in the second half is prolonged and lacks sympathy for the main characters.
On the other hand, many people also love the work with comments: "It is different from the original, but the plot is good", "As a father, I can sympathize with this story", "This is a film that makes you think when leaving the theater"...
Investor and distributor of the film CJ ENM said that "No Other Choice" soon recovered all of its 17 billion won production budget through overseas copyright sales, so the work was not under pressure to revenue.
