Word-of-Mouth 'The King's Warden' vs. Dopamine-Fueled 'HUMINT': Lunar New Year Box Office Showdown Heats Up

By  Kim Ji-hye  | Feb 12, 2026

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Humint
Korean films aiming for the Lunar New Year crowd are locked in a heated box office race.

The period drama “The King's Warden” opened on February 4, while the spy action film “HUMINT” and the family movie “Number One” debuted together on the 11th. Based on opening-day results, it’s shaping up to be a two-way fight between “The King's Warden” and “HUMINT.” “Number One,” which drew audiences in the 10,000 range on day one, has fallen well behind.

The two frontrunners differ sharply in genre and vibe. Opening a week earlier, “The King's Warden” is a “faction” sageuk that blends fact and fiction, chasing both laughs and heartfelt moments. “HUMINT,” which unfolds a South-North spy clash in Vladivostok, goes all-in on scale and spectacle. The budgets underscore the gap: about KRW 10.5 billion for “The King's Warden” versus KRW 23.5 billion for “HUMINT.”

In their first head-to-head day, “HUMINT” led with 116,749 moviegoers to take No. 1, while “The King's Warden” drew 86,924 for No. 2. With that, “The King's Warden” ceded the top spot it had held for seven days since opening.

It’s still too early to call the Lunar New Year winner. Despite surpassing 180,000 pre-sold tickets before release, “HUMINT” underperformed expectations on day one. It was projected to approach 200,000 admissions on opening day but landed in the low 100,000s.

Meanwhile, “The King's Warden” maintained roughly 90,000 daily viewers into week two―similar to its first week―before dipping into the 80,000s with “HUMINT”s arrival. With “HUMINT” opening below projections, “The King's Warden” held its ground comparatively well.

Pre-sales are neck-and-neck. “HUMINT” leads with a 34.8% share and 186,000 pre-sold tickets, but “The King's Warden” is right behind at 32.3% and 172,000 tickets.

Their strengths are distinct. The big-budget “HUMINT,” in the KRW 20-billion range, jolts audiences with explosive action―the ultimate dopamine hit. “The King's Warden” targets word-of-mouth, front-loading laughs and closing with an emotional punch.

This year’s Lunar New Year holiday runs four days. As first-day and first-week numbers show, both films are still before the full holiday surge. Recently, moviegoers tend to check reviews, reactions, and word-of-mouth carefully and move more slowly. Both titles are hovering near 200,000 in pre-sales, but softer early firepower likely reflects that trend.

Pre-sale audiences are expected to turn out in earnest over the holiday, and this early momentum will likely play a big role in drawing in new viewers. 

(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)