Korea Box Office Climbs 4.7% as Moana Storms to No. 1

South Korea’s weekly box office grew 4.7% in the 28th week of 2026, powered almost entirely by two fresh releases: the animated feature Moana, which opened straight at No. 1, and the drama David, which debuted at No. 5. Beyond those newcomers, the chart was uniformly softer — every one of the remaining top-10 holdovers slipped in rank, and no returning title moved up.

A market carried by its newcomers

The week’s growth came from the top, not the middle. Moana led all films with ₩5.64 billion in sales and 511,469 admissions in its opening frame. David entered at No. 5 with ₩601 million and 59,310 admissions. Those two openings were enough to lift the overall weekly total even as the rest of the field contracted.

That pattern shows up starkly in the rank movements: two new entries, seven titles falling, and zero climbers. In a healthier, more broadly distributed week, at least a handful of holdovers typically gain ground. Here, the entire non-debut slate moved in one direction — down — leaving the new arrivals to do all the lifting.

Concentration tightens at the top

Revenue also grew more top-heavy. The combined share of the three best-selling films rose from 74.0% to 77.2% of total weekly sales, meaning roughly three of every four won spent at the box office went to just three titles.

Behind Moana sat Nundongja at No. 2, holding second place with ₩4.57 billion and 434,569 admissions on the week, pushing its cumulative audience to 1,277,259. Toy Story 5 took third with ₩3.79 billion and 361,829 admissions, and its running total of 2,580,317 admissions marks it as one of the more durable performers on the chart. Together, these three accounted for the bulk of the week’s take, squeezing the mid- and lower-table films into a narrow slice of what remained.

The long tail

The gap below the top three was steep. Gunche held fourth with ₩773 million, though its cumulative audience of 5,914,321 makes it the most-watched title still charting — evidence of a long theatrical run now in its late stages. Below the newcomer David at No. 5, the rest of the top 10 clustered tightly in the ₩160–350 million range: Marty Supreme (₩346 million), Wild Thing (₩263 million), the animated Doraemon feature (₩178 million), Backrooms (₩192 million), and Greenland 2: Migration (₩162 million).

What the week signals for the chart ahead

The headline number was positive, but its composition points to a market leaning heavily on opening weekends. With every holdover in decline and the top three absorbing a rising share of sales, the coming weeks hinge on whether Moana and Nundongja can hold their audiences — and whether the next wave of releases can broaden a chart that, for now, is being propped up almost entirely by its two newest names.