🎦 Michael tops South Korean box office
The musical biopic Michael, chronicling the life of Michael Jackson, effortlessly seized the lead in the South Korean film market. Over the weekend of May 15–17, 2026, the feature claimed the number-one spot at the box office, capturing more than half of the country’s total theatrical revenue.
According to data from KOBIS, the Korean box office tracking service, the international release from Lionsgate and Universal Pictures grossed $3.6 million over the traditional three-day weekend. During this frame, the film drew 470,375 admissions, securing a dominant market share of 51.03%. Factoring in its mid-week debut on Wednesday, May 13, Michael’s cumulative five-day opening total reached $4.8 million, with 647,916 tickets sold.
Battle of the sequels: Fashion vs. Video games
The number-two spot on the charts was retained by the comedy sequel The Devil Wears Prada 2. The weekend brought the fashion-centric story an additional $897,000 and 120,500 admissions. Since its late-April release, the film has amassed an excellent $9.6 million in South Korea, pushing its total audience past 1.44 million viewers.
Finishing a mere hair behind in third place was the animated blockbuster The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which earned $829,000 over the weekend. The iconic plumber’s cumulative Korean box office has closed the gap with its main rival, reaching $9.4 million and steadily marching toward the 1.5 million admissions milestone.
Local horror and box office veterans: Weekend Top 10
Korean genre films and proven Hollywood hits distributed the top ten spots as follows:
| Rank | Title | Weekend Gross | Cumulative Gross (South Korea) |
| ---- | -------------------------------- | ------------- | ------------------------------ |
| 1 | Michael | $3,600,000 | $4,800,000 (New Release) |
| 2 | The Devil Wears Prada 2 | $897,275 | $9.600,000 |
| 3 | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie | $829,213 | $9,400,000 |
| 4 | Salmokji: Whispering Water | $669,972 | $21,600,000 |
| 5 | Project Hail Mary | $279,821 | $21,400,000 |
| 6 | Top Gun: Maverick (Re-release) | $136,047 | $59,000,000 |
| 7 | The King’s Warden | $92,473 | $108,300,000 |
| 8 | Teaching Practice: Silly Girls 2 | $74,384 | $123,356 (New Release) |
| 9 | If Only (Re-release) | $96,354 | – |
| 10 | Audition 109 | $86,804 | $2,600,000 |
Fourth place was held by the local horror hit Salmokji: Whispering Water, directed by Lee Sang-min. The film has become a national sensation, cumulative gaining $21.6 million (over 3.16 million admissions). It was followed closely in fifth place by the Hollywood sci-fi feature Project Hail Mary, whose Korean total crept up to $21.4 million.
Historical milestones and deadly school exams
In seventh place, Jang Hang-jun’s monumental historical drama The King’s Warden continues to make history. In its 15th week of release, the smash hit pulled in another $92,000. Total ticket sales have reached an incredible 16,863,925 admissions, pushing its cumulative gross past $108.3 million and cementing its status as one of the most successful films in South Korean cinematic history.
Launching from the eighth spot was the Korean black horror-comedy Teaching Practice: Silly Girls and the School Ghost 2. The plot follows a student teacher (played by Han Sun-hwa) who, alongside a high school dark magic club, tries to survive a lethal exam orchestrated by a 400-year-old samurai ghost. The film grossed $123,000 over its opening days.
Driven by the powerful debut of Michael, the total weekend revenue for the Korean box office climbed to $6.8 million (up from $4.9 million the previous week), returning an optimistic momentum to theaters.
Source: Variety
