Is Hyun Bin’s Blockbuster in Trouble? The Impact of Jung Woo-sung’s Cameo on Harbin’s Box Office

Hyun Bin’s latest historical film Harbin appears unlikely to reach its break-even point despite initial box office expectations.

According to the Korean Film Council’s box office data on February 19, Harbin attracted 631 viewers on February 18, bringing its total cumulative audience to 4.9 million. With a ₩30 billion ($22.5M) production budget, the film’s adjusted break-even point is 5 million viewers—a target that now seems difficult to achieve.

Harbin, which hit theaters on December 24, 2023, tells the story of Ahn Jung-geun, a Korean independence fighter, and his mission to assassinate Itō Hirobumi, the Japanese statesman known as the "Old Wolf." Hyun Bin takes on the lead role, while Japanese actor Lily Franky portrays Itō. The film also stars Park Jung-min, Jo Woo-jin, Jeon Yeo-been, and Lee Dong-wook, with Jung Woo-sung making a special appearance.

Initially, Harbin seemed set for box office success, drawing over 300,000 viewers on opening day—buoyed by the Christmas and New Year holiday crowd. However, its momentum soon faltered.

What Went Wrong?

Several factors contributed to Harbin’s underperformance:

- The unexpected late surge of Kwak Kyung-taek’s firefighting drama Firefighters, which stole its audience.

- Criticism that the film lacked depth, with some viewers feeling it stripped away too much emotion for a historical epic.

- A significant drop in weekday attendance, falling below 50,000 daily viewers after the holidays.

- A final push during the Lunar New Year helped boost numbers, but it wasn’t enough to trigger a lasting rebound.

On February 3, the film only attracted 5,453 viewers, signaling the end of its major box office run.

Director Woo Min-ho, best known for the critically acclaimed The Man Standing Next, was praised for maintaining tension in his previous historical thriller. However, Harbin has faced criticism for its lack of compelling storytelling despite its historical significance.

A CJ ENM representative confirmed to Wikitree, “Harbin has not yet broken even.”

With the domestic run winding down, all eyes are on international sales to help recover costs. Will Harbin find new life in the global market, or will it remain a cautionary tale of high-budget risks in Korean cinema?