“Once We Were Us” Box Office: 4th Week at Number One

SEOUL, Feb. 2 (Yonhap) — The Korean romance drama “Once We Were Us,” starring Koo Kyo-hwan and Moon Ga-young, maintained its reign at the box office, topping the weekend charts for the fourth consecutive week, according to data released by the Korean Film Council on Monday.

The film, which premiered on Dec. 31, drew 179,740 moviegoers between Friday and Sunday. This impressive performance brought its total admissions to 2.3 million and its revenue to 22.6 billion won (US$15.6 million), cementing its status as a box office success.

“Once We Were Us” is a Korean remake of the highly successful 2018 Chinese film “Us and Them,” featuring Jing Boran and Zhou Dongyu. The Korean adaptation explores the complexities of love, regret, and missed opportunities.

Directed by Kim Do-young, who previously garnered critical acclaim for her directorial debut with “Kim Ji-young, Born 1982,” the film delves into the relationship between a young couple, Eun-ho (Koo Kyo-hwan) and Jung-won (Moon Ga-young), as they reflect on the highs and lows of their romance during their 20s.

Notably, last week, “Once We Were Us” achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first Korean romance film since the 2019 hit “Crazy Romance” to surpass 2 million admissions, highlighting its popularity with Korean audiences.

The second highest-grossing film of the weekend was “Choir of God,” a drama centered around North Korea’s efforts to secure international aid by creating a fabricated praise troupe amidst sanctions. This film also released Dec. 31, attracted 148,336 viewers, bringing its cumulative total to 934,394.