Kim Hye-yun's 'The Plot' Tops Box Office

The horror film 'Salmokji,' starring Kim Hye-yun, topped the box office on its opening day. According to the Korean Film Council's integrated network for movie ticket sales, 'Salmokji' drew 89,912 viewers on its release date, the 8th, securing the top spot at the overall box office. The cumulative audience number stands at 116,825.

This figure more than doubles the daily box office performance of 'The King and the Clown,' which surpassed 16 million viewers, and the Hollywood sci-fi blockbuster 'Project Hail Mary.' Notably, 'Salmokji's' opening score is the highest for the horror genre since 'The Medium' (129,937 viewers) released in 2021, and it surpasses the opening score of 'Project Hail Mary' (76,003 viewers), indicating its emergence as a box office hit to lead the April movie season.

'Salmokji' is a film that maximizes realism by using an actual famous fishing spot ghost story as its motif. It depicts the horror that unfolds when an unidentified figure is captured on a map service's road view, and the filming crew heads to the reservoir to investigate, only to encounter an inexplicable presence in the deep, dark water. Kim Hye-yun plays the role of Soo-in, a member of the filming crew and the protagonist who fights for survival amidst extreme terror, anchoring the film.

The film is directed by Lee Sang-min, and in addition to Kim Hye-yun, Lee Jong-won, Kim Jun-han, Kim Young-sung, Oh Dong-min, Yoon Jae-chan, and Jang Da-ah contribute to the film's tension. Kim Hye-yun shed her previous lovable image, leaving a strong impression on the audience with her screams on the brink of death. Despite it being her first foray into horror, she delivered outstanding psychological portrayal and emotional depth, earning praise of 'As expected from Kim Hye-yun.'

The successful implementation of 'experiential horror' is also cited as a factor in 'Salmokji's' box office success. By combining a ghost story, familiar to the public as a true event, with modern media elements like road view, it stimulated realistic fear. Through special screenings like 4DX and ScreenX, it provided an immersive experience as if the audience were present at the scene, appealing to the tastes of younger audiences.