'Namsan's Department Heads' Surpasses 4 Million, Will It Reach 10 Million Viewers?

Photo by actor Lee Byung-hun

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Hyesoo] 'The Man Standing Next,' which held the number one spot at the box office even in its second week after release, has surpassed 4 million viewers, signaling a positive outlook for reaching 10 million moviegoers.

On its 11th day since release, 'The Man Standing Next' depicts the 40 days before the assassination of the President of South Korea in 1979, focusing on the Director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (played by Lee Byung-hun), who was known as the second most powerful figure. The film, which has consistently ranked first in box office sales since its release, reached 4 million viewers faster than the films '1987' and 'The Spy Gone North,' both of which also dealt with modern history of the 1980s and took 12 days to reach the same milestone.

Photo by Director Woo Min-ho

Photo by actor Lee Sung-min

Photo by actor Kwak Do-won

Photo by actor Lee Hee-jun

In response, the cast members simultaneously shared certification photos with messages of gratitude, celebrating the joy with their audience. Especially, Lee Byung-hun, wearing casual glasses, showed off his superior visuals holding a sign that read "Thank you for 4 million." Additionally, director Woo Min-ho, Lee Sung-min who played Park, Kwak Do-won as Park Yong-gak, and Lee Hee-joon as Kwak Sang-cheon all expressed their sincere thanks through certification photos.

'The Man Standing Next,' released on January 22, is currently screening to great acclaim.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.