Will THE ROUNDUP: NO WAY OUT Be Able to Beat Them?

The Roundup: No Way Out, the third installment of the series started by The Outlaws, has achieved a remarkable feat on July 1st by becoming the first film of the year to surpass 10 million admissions at the South Korean box office, and only the second Korean film to do so since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The first film to hit the elusive milestone since then was none other than The Roundup (2022), the previous title in the series. Despite all the credits that the director, the technicians, and the whole cast deserve, it is undeniable that this success is a testament to the mainstream appeal Don Lee (aka Ma Dong-seok) is currently enjoying. To put things into perspective, the other Korean films that performed the best over the period, Confidential Assignment 2: International (2021) and Hansan: Rising Dragon (2021), barely got past the 7-million mark, which was even more surprising in the latter’s case as it is the prequel to the most watched film of all time on the market. No matter how you look at it, Don now reigns unchallenged over the Korean industry. And yet, he still has a few mountains to conquer if he wants to enter the top 5 of the most successful Korean films of all-time. This week we take a look at the forerunners. 

​Roaring Currents 

A national hero conquering the box office: Roaring Currents (2014) with 17.62 million admissions

Roaring Currents marked the first time in a long while that a film dared to portray Admiral Yi Sun-sin, one of the most revered historical figures in Korea as he is widely credited for the successful defense of the nation against two Japanese invasions in the late 16th century. Played by a legendary actor, Choi Min-shik, Yi is seen in the movie as he is about to pull off one of the largest naval upsets in the Battle of Myeongnyang in 1597, where he is said to have led a fleet of 13 ships to defeat a much larger Japanese navy made of more than 300 ships. The film broke several records at the time of its release, such as the highest opening day and became the fastest Korean film to reach 10 million admissions, only in 12 days. With a final haul that amounts to a third of South Korea’s population, it has remained unrivaled for close to a decade. The second film in a planned trilogy, Hansan: Rising Dragon didn’t manage to break the 10-million mark.

​Extreme Job 

The comedy phenomenon that came from nowhere: Extreme Job (2019) with 16.27 million admissions

Even though it is a pretty common genre, comedy never seemed to draw huge crowds. Intimate Strangers first showed the way, but it was Extreme Job that scored a figure that no one could have expected. A team of cops that has been struggling to bust a drug ring finds the perfect way to keep a watch on them in the fried chicken restaurant located just across the street from the gang’s hideout. What they didn’t expect was that the fried chicken recipe they improvised overnight would become so popular. Now they have to juggle their duty and their booming business lest they blow their cover. With Ryu Seung-ryong, Lee Ha-nee, Jin Seon-kyu, Lee Dong-hwi and Gong Myoung in the main cast, the film was praised for the chemistry among the actors and a clever script. 

​Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds 

Korea’s challenger to the MCU: Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds (2017) with 14.41 million admissions

Based on the webtoon of the same name by Joo Ho-min, this fantasy film, the first in a two-part story, follows a firefighter who died on the job. As he is escorted by three grim reapers, he has to face seven trials to decide whether he deserves reincarnation. Hailed as the beginning of a new era for Korean CGI effects and boasting a star-studded cast with Cha Tae-hyun, Ha Jung-woo, Ju Ji-hoon and Kim Hyang-gi, the film didn’t disappoint at the box office and easily crossed the 10-million threshold. The second part, Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days (2018) didn’t perform as well but still just enough to make this series one of the very few, along with The Roundup, to have achieved this feat twice. Incidentally, the latter film also featured Don Lee.

​Ode to My Father 

The intergenerational biopic: Ode to My Father (2014) with 14.26 million admissions

Spanning several decades, this film depicts some of the major events of Korean history as seen through the eyes of an ordinary man from today’s North Korea, who had to fill up the role of his family’s breadwinner after they were separated from his father during the Korean War. A saga larger than life that evoked nostalgia and painful memories, it made for the perfect occasion for families to gather in theaters in December 2014. The film established lead actor Hwang Jung-min as one of the most bankable names in Korean films. 

​Veteran 

The hard-boiled detective before Don Lee: Veteran (2015) with 13.41 million admissions

What happens when an audacious and foolhardy cop knows that the ruthless heir to a powerful conglomerate is connected to the apparent suicide of a friend? Of course, not even the higher-ups or the Internal affairs can force him to drop the case. At a time when many shared the belief that the wealthy can get away with anything, this 2015 action-comedy film presented a story about cops that are not afraid to deliver a few punches if it can help put an arrogant spoiled brat behind bars. With Hwang Jung-min playing a police officer who won't let anything, or anyone, stop him from pursuing justice and doesn’t shy away from some hand-to-hand action, this title might have served as a proof-of-concept for Don Lee’s own successful cop film franchise.