Neojja 2 Korean Release and Screening Schedule

The film '731', which set an all-time box office record on its opening day in China, is set to be released in Korea. This historical film exposes the reality of human experimentation conducted by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II, and it is based on the historical facts of over 3,000 victims, including Chinese, Koreans, and Russians. The movie premiered in China on September 18 last year, coinciding with the anniversary of the Mukden Incident initiated by the Japanese army, and broke the all-time box office record by surpassing 300 million yuan (approximately 58.9 billion won) in sales on its opening day.

The release of the film '731' caused significant repercussions in Chinese society. Anti-Japanese sentiment surged within China, leading to incidents such as passengers being asked to leave taxis if they were Japanese, and people questioning Japanese families in restaurants about Unit 731. The Japanese Embassy in China warned Japanese nationals in the country not to speak Japanese loudly in public places, and a curfew and school closures were imposed on Japanese residents in China. Conversely, in Japan, there were movements to dismiss the film as anti-Japanese, questioning its direction and historical accuracy.

Given that five Korean victims were officially included in Unit 731 during World War II, the film has a deep connection with Korea as well. Director Zhao Linsan spent 12 years collecting vast amounts of data and conducting investigations in China and Japan to make this film, and the sets were meticulously recreated based on testimonies. Attention is focused on what kind of impact '731', which has heated up discussions in China and Japan, will have upon its release in Korea.

Meanwhile, as of February 23, 2026, the Korean film market saw director Jang Hang-jun's historical drama 'The King and the Man' maintain its top position by drawing 195,484 viewers, surpassing a cumulative audience of 6 million. Korean films have virtually monopolized the market, recording a 94.1% share of total revenue, with existing box office hits like 'Humint' and 'Number One' supporting the market.

'The King and the Man' showed a high occupancy rate with 43.4% screen efficiency, and the word-of-mouth praise for the performances of Yoo Hae-jin and Park Ji-hoon is creating stable demand even on weekdays. In second place was director Ryoo Seung-wan's 'Humint', which added 32,111 viewers to reach a cumulative audience of 1,611,129, but its screen efficiency was only 0.3%. 'Number One' ranked third, attracting 5,276 viewers for a cumulative total of 244,687.