Korean actor Lee Byung Hun thanked moviegoers this weekend as his latest film The Match has earned 1 million moviegoers in South Korea, and is currently at #1 at the box office.
The film was released on March 26th, so it took The Match 11 days to get to that goal — not a meteoric rise by any means, but nothing to sneeze at either.
The delayed release of Korean film The Match
The Match was originally scheduled to release on Netflix in 2023 but, due to co-star Yoo Ah In’s drug charges, its release was delayed by the streaming platform.
The production committee/film distributor finally decided to release it in South Korean movie theaters two years later, and now here we are.
According to the latest data via the Korean Film Council, The Match has now earned a total of 1,056,921 ticket sales, so is nicely heading to its second million.
Lee Byung Hun thanks moviegoers
In response to the announcement, lead actor Lee Byung Hun thanked moviegoers via his social media accounts, and via film distributor BY4M’s X account.
His co-star Yoo Ah In, of course, still being “disgraced” by Korean news media, and currently serving a one-year suspended sentence for illegal drug use, is not allowed to participate in the promotion of the film.
And, no, I am not condoning his drug use but, Jesus Christ, can South Korea please stop attempting to destroy the entire lives of any actor who makes a mistake. It’s disgusting.
But, yes, the accolades for the 1 million moviegoers belong to Yoo Ah In as well.
As for the Netflix release of The Match that, apparently, is still coming. With the film doing so well in South Korea, hopefully, that will be sooner rather than later.
The Match plot
The Match itself is based on a true story that took place in the 1980s and 90s, and follows two Go players, Cho Hun Hyeon (played by Lee Byung Hun), and his protege, Lee Chang Ho (Yoo Ah In).
Things go array, however, as after years of teaching, the student suddenly starts to go against the master’s teachings.
Go is the world’s oldest board game, having been invented in China more than 2,500 years ago and, with almost 50 million people around the world knowing how to play it today, it is no wonder The Match is doing so well then, eh?
Keep your fingers crossed The Match will hit Netflix internationally soon, as this one sound fascinating.
Brit-American journalist based in Austria,. Former radio DJ at 97X WOXY, and Founder/CEO of Leo Sigh. I’ve covered K-drama, K-pop, anime, and manga news for over a decade.