“Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island” stayed firmly in control of South Korea’s box office during the Oct. 23–25 weekend, claiming 44.7% of nationwide ticket revenue in its fourth weekend.

The Toho-distributed Japanese animated fantasy earned $2.5 million from 320,293 admissions across 1,115 screens, according to KOBIS, the Korean Film Council’s tracking service. Its continued youth and family turnout brought the film’s South Korean total to $17.5 million and 2,248,137 admissions since its Sept. 30 launch.

Directed by Kei Oikawa and adapted from Nagano’s popular manga, the film follows its small central character and companions to a picturesque coastal island, where they encounter a sinister local mystery.

Thrillers Fill Out the Top Four

Hur Jin-ho’s “The Assassin(s)” remained in second place with $520,822 from 68,241 admissions at 730 screens. The Hive Media Corp-distributed political thriller controlled 9.2% of the weekend market, taking its cumulative result to $25 million from 3,374,517 admissions following its Sept. 23 rollout.

Starring Yu Hae-jin, Park Hae-il and Lee Min-ho, the period drama reconstructs the Aug. 15, 1974 assassination attempt on President Park Chung-hee and examines irregularities surrounding the investigation into the death of First Lady Yuk Young-soo.

The film’s run has continued amid political criticism and legal action. Conservative civic groups and members of the bereaved family have filed defamation complaints, alleging historical distortion in its portrayal of state involvement. Protests previously led 19 film guilds to release a joint statement in defense of cinematic freedom.

The weekend’s highest-ranking new release was CJ Entertainment’s “Paradise Lost,” which opened in third place. The psychological thriller generated $502,962 from 66,699 admissions across 803 screens, representing an 8.9% market share.

Directed and co-written by Yeon Sang-ho, the mystery stars Kim Hyun-joo and Bae Hyun-sung and centers on a desperate mother entering a closed religious community while searching for her missing son. After its world premiere at Toronto and an Oct. 21 midweek opening, it has earned $769,865 from 104,877 admissions.

Warner Bros. and DC Studios’ “Clayface” arrived in fourth place with $388,947 and 48,245 admissions across 655 screens. That amounted to 6.9% of the market. Since opening Oct. 21, the film has collected $595,460 from 77,153 viewers.

“Tazza” Nears Two Million Admissions

CJ ENM’s “Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub” ranked fifth during its fifth weekend, adding $371,743 from 46,919 admissions across 618 screens for a 6.6% share. The fourth installment in the gambling-drama franchise, directed by Choi Kook-hee and starring Byun Yo-han, Noh Jae-won and Ayaka Miyoshi, has now grossed $15.3 million. Its admissions total reached 1,999,477, leaving it just short of two million tickets.

Plus M Entertainment’s “Still Shining” opened in sixth place, earning $148,298 from 21,564 admissions at 562 screens. Song Il-gon directed the period drama, which stars Kim Hye-ja and Cha Mi-kyung as two women whose lifelong bond began with a promise to sing together in Seoul during the Japanese colonial era. Including midweek business since its Oct. 21 debut, the film has made $278,527 from 41,037 viewers.

Universal’s “The Odyssey” placed seventh in its 12th weekend, drawing $164,558 from 20,189 admissions across 341 screens. Since opening Aug. 5, it has reached $106.2 million and 12,311,245 admissions.

“Verity,” from Amazon MGM Studios and Warner Bros., debuted in eighth place. The psychological thriller took $120,876 from 16,416 admissions across 458 screens during the weekend and has accumulated $178,096 from 25,190 admissions since its Oct. 22 opening.

Director Kore-eda Hirokazu’s live-action manga drama “Look Back” landed in ninth place in its third weekend. It earned $126,854 from 15,624 admissions across 190 screens, raising its total to $1 million from 131,051 admissions.

Domestic action thriller “Killing Time” completed the top 10 with $82,439 from 11,244 admissions across 274 screens. Directed by Jang Jun-yeob and starring Ryu Hye-young and Nam Yoon-su, the story follows a popular YouTube crew that falls apart after a member dies in an accident during a live broadcast. An extreme comeback stunt intended to restore the group’s fame becomes a deadly survival game involving mysterious figures.

Since its Oct. 21 release, “Killing Time” has grossed $135,388 from 19,121 viewers.

ShowBiz Take

“Chiikawa” did more than simply retain first place: its 44.7% share was nearly five times the 9.2% secured by the weekend’s runner-up. That margin is especially notable because several titles entered the chart during the frame, including “Paradise Lost,” “Clayface,” “Still Shining” and “Verity,” yet none came close to dislodging the animated film in its fourth weekend.

The commanding hold came as the broader South Korean market contracted. The top-level weekend gross totaled $5.6 million, down from $6.7 million one week earlier, making “Chiikawa’s” $2.5 million performance the clear center of the frame.