Salmokji: Whispering Water surpasses 2 million moviegoers, first Korean horror in 8 years
Updated
Updated · soompi · Apr 27
Salmokji: Whispering Water surpasses 2 million moviegoers, first Korean horror in 8 years
8 articles · Updated · soompi · Apr 27
The film reached this milestone on April 27, 2026, according to KOBIS, with cast members Kim Hye Yoon, Lee Jong Won, and others celebrating alongside director Lee Sang Min.
It is the second Korean movie of 2026 to achieve over 2 million admissions, following 'The King’s Warden', and marks the best box office result for a Korean horror film post-pandemic.
Salmokji: Whispering Water follows a production crew at Salmokji reservoir who encounter a mysterious presence, echoing the genre success last seen with 2018’s Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum.
Will the success of 'Salmokji' and 'The King's Warden' finally end the Korean box office slump?
Could the triumph of two fact-based films signal a shift away from blockbuster formulas in Korean cinema?
After 'Gonjiam' and 'Salmokji', are real haunted locations the new key to Korean horror's success?
Can the tourism boom at Salmokji reservoir be managed before it becomes a local crisis?
Is the film's 'swamp-like terror' a metaphor for unresolved national traumas or just effective filmmaking?