South Korea’s box office roared into the Chuseok holiday period as Hur Jin-ho’s political crime thriller “The Assassin(s)” opened at No. 1 and “Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub” followed in second place.

The overall market generated $19.6 million during the Sept. 25-27 weekend, up sharply from $7.6 million the previous week. KOBIS, the Korean Film Council’s tracking service, recorded more than 1.1 million admissions for “The Assassin(s)” alone during the three-day frame.

Playing across 1,532 screens, the newly released local title earned $8 million from 1,119,156 admissions. That represented 40.9% of the weekend market. Since opening on Sept. 23, it has reached $11.2 million and 1,566,222 admissions.

Set around the attempted assassination of President Park Chung-hee on Aug. 15, 1974, the period investigation drama revisits the attack during a National Liberation Day ceremony that killed First Lady Yuk Young-soo.

The story follows a detective played by Yu Hae-jin, a veteran newspaper society desk chief portrayed by Park Hae-il and a rookie reporter played by Lee Min-ho. Their investigation focuses on missing ballistic evidence that challenges the state’s conclusion that a lone gunman was responsible.

“Tazza” franchise returns in second place

Choi Kook-hee’s “Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub” entered the chart at No. 2 with $4.1 million from 566,526 admissions across 1,045 screens. The crime saga accounted for 21.3% of the weekend market.

The fourth installment in the comic-adapted gambling franchise stars Byun Yo-han, Noh Jae-won and Ayaka Miyoshi. Its plot centers on a former online casino operator who, after being betrayed, moves into the international poker circuit for a high-stakes revenge showdown.

Including previews and holiday audiences since its Sept. 23 release, the film has earned $6.1 million from 833,030 admissions.

“The Odyssey” remained a major draw in its eighth weekend, taking third place with $3.2 million from 364,763 admissions at 843 screens. Its 16.6% share of the weekend market brought the film’s cumulative performance to $96.3 million and 11,783,301 admissions since launching Aug. 5.

Last week’s admissions leader, “The Intern,” dropped to fourth place in its second frame. Directed by Kim Do-young and starring Choi Min-sik and Han So-hee, the Warner Bros. Korea comedy remake collected $1.5 million from 206,347 admissions across 722 screens. It captured 7.6% of receipts and has now generated $5.3 million from 756,057 viewers.

“Possible Love” joins the holiday chart

Lee Chang-dong’s social drama “Possible Love” debuted in fifth place, taking $557,981 from 72,022 admissions at 195 screens. The Venice Grand Jury Prize winner stars Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Cho Yeo-jeong and Zo In-sung.

The drama examines the psychological strain between two couples: a working-class pair dealing with the aftermath of a strike and a wealthy couple making a documentary about them. Since opening Sept. 23, South Korea’s Oscar submission has accumulated $890,241 from 115,938 admissions.

In sixth place, “Obsession” earned $542,493 from 67,619 admissions across 471 screens during its fourth frame. Its running total stands at $6.6 million from 849,155 ticket buyers.

“Avengers: Endgame Encore” opened at No. 7 with $550,939 from 63,273 admissions on 178 screens. Its cumulative figures reached $941,892 and 107,950 viewers.

The survival horror reboot “Resident Evil” placed eighth, adding $291,213 from 36,459 admissions. It has now taken $1.4 million from 186,950 admissions overall.

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” followed in ninth place with $154,701 from 22,278 admissions. The film’s total has risen to $67.4 million from 9,032,429 admissions.

British animated adventure “Octonauts: Above and Beyond – Season 2” completed the top 10. It opened over the weekend with $89,565 from 12,636 admissions across 239 screens and has earned $125,089 from 17,779 viewers since its Sept. 23 debut.