[NC Box Office] 'Once We Were Us' Crosses 1.6 Million to Hold No.1… 'Choir of God' Surges to No.2 on Strong Word-of-Mouth

Poster of the film ‘Once We Were Us’. Photo by Showbox.

The romance film Once We Were Us, starring Koo Kyo-hwan and Moon Ga-young, continues its strong box office momentum after crossing the 1.6 million mark. At the same time, Choir of God, led by Park Shi-hoo and Jung Jin-woon, has surged to second place, reshaping the weekend box office through steady word-of-mouth support.

According to the Korean Film Council’s integrated box office system on January 20, Once We Were Us drew 48,032 viewers on January 19 alone, securing the No.1 spot on the daily chart. Its cumulative audience now stands at 1,621,873.

Once We Were Us tells the story of Eun-ho (Koo Kyo-hwan) and Jung-won (Moon Ga-young), former lovers who reunite by chance after ten years and revisit the lingering traces of their shared memories. Released on December 31, the film quickly gained popularity through the actors’ powerful performances and its emotionally resonant storyline. It surpassed one million admissions in just 12 days and reached its break-even point of 1.1 million viewers within 13 days, confirming its solid commercial appeal.

Poster of the film ‘Choir of God’. Photo by Studio Target Co., Ltd.

Choir of God attracted 24,177 viewers on the same day, climbing to second place. Its total audience has reached 460,069.

Choir of God depicts the story of a fake praise choir created in North Korea to earn foreign currency, and its distinctive premise has gradually expanded its audience base. The film is now gaining renewed attention as a reverse-hit title powered by strong audience recommendations.

Ranked third is Avatar: Fire and Ash, which recorded 19,814 admissions for the day, bringing its cumulative audience to 6,398,662.

Avatar: Fire and Ash follows the Sully family after the death of their eldest son, Neteyam. As they struggle with grief, a new threat emerges in the form of the Ash Clan led by Varang, unfolding an even greater crisis across a Pandora engulfed in fire and ashes.

In fourth place, Heartman, starring Kwon Sang-woo and Moon Chae-won, drew 11,730 viewers. Its cumulative total now stands at 169,958.

Heartman is a romantic comedy about Seung-min (Kwon Sang-woo), a man who returns and fights to reclaim his first love, only to face an irreversible secret that complicates their relationship.

Fifth place went to Zootopia 2, which attracted 7,820 moviegoers, raising its total admissions to 8,448,352.

Zootopia 2 follows the legendary duo Judy and Nick as they chase a mysterious snake named Gary who throws the city into chaos, leading them into a dangerous investigation in an entirely new world.

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