Yeon Sang-ho’s The Ugly has edged past Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle to lead the South Korean box office in recent days, capitalizing on word of mouth and an expanding screen count after a mid-September launch. Korean Film Council data show The Ugly topping daily charts from Sept. 16–20, including an estimated $854,471 on Sept. 20 for 113,135 admissions, lifting its cumulative audience above 630,000. The Japanese juggernaut remained close behind that day with 94,625 admissions, underscoring a two-title race that has energized local cinemas.
The trajectory marks a quick rebound from opening-weekend placement behind Demon Slayer. Earlier in the month, trade reporting noted The Ugly’s debut at No. 2 with roughly $2.1 million and 281,924 admissions; the film has since reclaimed momentum as multiplexes added shows and late-arriving viewers caught up. That shift mirrors a pattern occasionally seen in Korea, where mid-budget dramas can build over weekdays and then push past tentpoles on subsequent weekends when reviews and audience scores converge.
Beyond charts and counts, the film’s production scale is part of the story. Director Yeon, best known globally for Train to Busan and Netflix’s Hellbound, made The Ugly on a reported 200 million won budget, a fraction of his recent studio projects. Local press and festival materials tie the film to his own graphic novel and to a festival rollout that included Toronto, positioning it as a character-driven mystery whose resonance turned into repeat business at home. The filmmaker has described the project as an experiment in low-cost production that could open “new possibilities” for Korean features.
The market context remains notable. Demon Slayer crossed $555 million worldwide and has been a durable draw in Korea since Aug. 22, helping sustain attendance during a choppy September; yet The Ugly’s recent daily wins show room for local titles to stand beside imported event releases. With admissions climbing and premium screens still split between the two, the coming frame will test staying power for Yeon’s film as competition rotates and holiday previews begin.
