Hankook Ilbo has just compiled a list of the highest-grossing Korean films of 2024. The results show that "Exhuma" leads in terms of profits with a profit margin of 822%.
With a production budget of 14 billion won (11 million USD), the film grossed 115 billion won (nearly 80 million USD) at the box office.
According to Korean newspapers, if the standard revenue is divided 50:50 between the cinema and the production company, the actual profit for the producer and investor is 411%.
Following closely behind "The Roundup: Punishment" was "The Roundup: Punishment" with 11.5 million viewers, a 718% profit, earning 110 billion won ($76.4 million) in theaters.
This achievement is 5.1 billion won less than "Grave Digger". Since the production cost of "Siege: The Punisher" is 15.3 billion won, the profit gap is also different from the top film.
The third highest-grossing film was "I, the Executioner" which cost 13 billion won ($9 million) to produce and grossed 72.4 billion won ($50.3 million). It attracted 7.52 million viewers and made a profit of 556%.
Meanwhile, the movie "Pilot" ranked 4th. The movie cost 9.8 billion won (6.8 million USD) to produce, reached 4.71 million views, earned 43.2 billion won (30 million USD) and made a profit of 440%.
On this list, two films that did not top the box office were exceptionally profitable.
The animated film "Heartsping: Teenieping of Love" (1.23 million viewers) ranked fifth in terms of profit with a profit margin of 366%. The film cost 3 billion won (US$2 million) and earned 11 billion won (US$7.6 million).
Meanwhile, "Handsome Guys" was made with a modest budget of 4.6 billion won (3.2 million USD) and garnered 1.77 million views, 16.5 billion won (11.4 million USD) in revenue, achieving a profit of 336%.
Other notable films include "Escape" (2.56 million viewers), which recorded a 284 percent return, while "Air Siege" (1.77 million viewers) recorded a 129 percent return on its 13 billion won ($9 million) production budget.
Hankook Ilbo emphasized that the profit rankings reflect changes in the Korean film industry since the COVID-19 pandemic.
While blockbusters with all-star casts and big budgets struggle, films with identity are gaining traction.
The success of the mystery comedy "Handsome See Wrong" and the animation "Heartsping: Teenieping of Love" are typical examples of this trend.
