As of September 24, 2026, ‘The Assassin(s)’ is on track to lead the Chuseok holiday box office in Korea — but no Netflix, VOD, or international release has been announced.
This post covers the confirmed numbers, the film itself, and what to check next if you’re outside Korea.
Contents
- The Assassin(s) Korean movie: Chuseok box office lead, no Netflix or VOD date yet
- When is ‘The Assassin(s)’ on Netflix or VOD?
- What is ‘The Assassin(s)’ about?
- Cast, director, and running time
- Is it any good? Korean press vs Toronto reactions
- Where to watch ‘The Assassin(s)’ from outside Korea
The Assassin(s) Korean movie: Chuseok box office lead, no Netflix or VOD date yet
As of 9 a.m. on September 21, 2026, ‘The Assassin(s)’ held Korea’s #1 overall ticket reservation rate at 29.2% with about 154,000 pre-sold tickets, per the KOBIS integrated network (via etoday).
That made it the first Korean film to top the overall reservation rate in 64 days, since ‘Hope’.
It opened Wednesday, September 23 — the day before the Chuseok holiday started — and Yonhap reported the same day that it is on track to lead the holiday box office.
The #1 position is "on track," not final.
Opening-day admissions (September 23) are not published yet, and the final Chuseok weekend ranking lands around September 28 — check that before treating the top spot as confirmed.
| Korean cinema release | Wednesday, Sept 23, 2026 (day before Chuseok) |
|---|---|
| Chuseok box office position | On track to lead the holiday box office (Yonhap, Sept 23) |
| Reservation rate / pre-sold tickets (Sept 21, 9 a.m.) | 29.2% / about 154,000 tickets (KOBIS, via etoday) |
| Netflix / VOD / streaming date | Not announced — no date or platform from any source |
| International (overseas) release | Not announced |
| Next box office checkpoint | Final Chuseok weekend rankings, around Sept 28, 2026 |
When is ‘The Assassin(s)’ on Netflix or VOD?
As of September 24, 2026, no Netflix, VOD, or streaming date has been announced by Hive Media Corp or any platform for ‘The Assassin(s)’.
That is a past pattern, not a stated plan for this film — any article giving you a specific streaming date is guessing.
If I look at a film like this from outside Korea, the first thing I check is whether any streaming date or region exists beyond Korean cinemas, because that decides whether you can actually see it.
Right now there is nothing to check yet — a short wait is the realistic path.
What is ‘The Assassin(s)’ about?
‘The Assassin(s)’ rebuilds the August 15, 1974 shooting of South Korea’s First Lady during the Liberation Day ceremony, with fictional characters and a dramatized investigation.
Six shots were fired, but only four bullets were found — the film tracks the two missing bullets and the gap between the official record and what witnesses saw.
After the shooting, the case was closed as a lone-offender crime by Moon Tae-gwang, a second-generation Korean resident in Japan (played by Park Jung-min).
The film’s three protagonists doubt that verdict: detective Park Cheol-gu (Yu Hae-jin), who approached the truth from what he witnessed; society desk chief Kim Jae-hwan (Park Hae-il), and rookie reporter Han Young-il (Lee Min-ho), who reconstruct it through reporting.
Three tracks converge on one truth.
Director Hur Jin-ho says the film does not aim to reveal a hidden mastermind — it follows the emotions of people chasing truth in a silenced era, including a free-press declaration episode from the 1970s.
Cast, director, and running time
The film runs 130 minutes and is rated 12+ in Korea.
It is directed by Hur Jin-ho, whose earlier films include ‘Christmas in August’, ‘A Good Rain Knows’, ‘The Last Princess’, and ‘Forbidden Dream’.
The three leads are Yu Hae-jin as detective Park Cheol-gu, Park Hae-il as newspaper desk chief Kim Jae-hwan, and Lee Min-ho as rookie reporter Han Young-il.
Lee Min-ho’s character is a well-connected ‘gold-spoon’ journalist who uses family connections to investigate while being less surveilled than his editor.
Supporting-cast lists differ between outlets (etoday vs Sports Chosun), so beyond the three leads, names should be checked against official credits before being treated as confirmed.
Is it any good? Korean press vs Toronto reactions
At the Korean press screening, Cine21’s expert score was 6.25/10, and preview audiences called it ‘the first tension since Seoul Spring’ and ‘starts cold, ends hot’.
At its international premiere in the Gala Section of the 51st Toronto International Film Festival, reactions included ‘most tension-filled film at this year’s TIFF’ and ‘a Korean JFK combining political conspiracy and journalism investigation’.
Reviewers highlighted the 1970s production design and the journalism-centered story.
Yonhap’s review notes the mystery is easy to follow — a strength — but the plot risks feeling simple at times.
If you expect a twist-heavy thriller, set expectations accordingly; if you follow it for the tension and period detail, that is where the praise sits.
Yu Hae-jin moves between injustice and obsession, Park Hae-il carries the weight of a capable veteran reporter, and Lee Min-ho adds energy oscillating between audacity and slyness.
Where to watch ‘The Assassin(s)’ from outside Korea
Right now, the film is playing in Korean cinemas only, and no overseas theatrical or streaming schedule has been confirmed in any source.
Here’s what to check and when:
- Around September 28, 2026: the final Chuseok holiday weekend box office rankings — this confirms whether the film’s top position holds.
- During the theatrical run: watch for any Korean or international streaming announcement, which does not exist as of September 24.
- If Hive Media Corp follows its own ‘Seoul Spring’ pattern, a domestic OTT window could open roughly two months after cinemas — but for this film, that is an expectation, not a fact.
If I were outside Korea, I would wait for the confirmed Chuseok weekend numbers around September 28 and a streaming announcement rather than hunt for dubious online streams — Hive Media Corp’s own ‘Seoul Spring’ reached a domestic OTT about two months after cinemas.
Related posts
Sources
- 29.2% reservation, ~154,000 tickets, #1, first Korean #1 in (etoday.co.kr)
- 130 min, 12+, Hur Jin-ho, cast Yu Hae-jin / Park Hae-il / Le (cine21.com)
- Yonhap Sept 23: on track to lead Chuseok holiday box office (en.yna.co.kr)
What to check next
- Around September 28, 2026: final Chuseok weekend box office rankings — whether ‘The Assassin(s)’ holds #1.
- During the theatrical run: any Netflix, VOD, or international release announcement (none exists as of September 24, 2026).
- Numbers in this post are as of September 24, 2026.
FAQ
Q. Is ‘The Assassin(s)’ #1 at the Korean box office?
As of September 21, 2026, it held the #1 overall ticket reservation rate at 29.2% with about 154,000 pre-sold tickets (KOBIS, via etoday). Yonhap reported on September 23 that it is on track to lead the Chuseok box office. Final weekend rankings come around September 28.
Q. When will ‘The Assassin(s)’ be on Netflix?
No date has been announced as of September 24, 2026 — neither by Hive Media Corp nor any platform. The studio’s ‘Seoul Spring’ (2023) reached a domestic OTT about two months after cinemas, but that is a past pattern, not a stated plan.
Q. Will Netflix Korea announce an OTT date during the theatrical run?
There is nothing to confirm yet. As of September 24, no platform has said anything about ‘The Assassin(s)’ — any article naming a date or platform is guessing.
Q. Is ‘The Assassin(s)’ available outside Korea?
Not in any confirmed form. As of September 24, 2026, it is playing in Korean cinemas only, and no international theatrical or streaming schedule has been announced.
Q. Are international critics’ scores (e.g., Rotten Tomatoes) available yet?
Korean press coverage includes a Cine21 expert score of 6.25/10, and Toronto festival reactions were positive. A Rotten Tomatoes score or wide-release review aggregate is not something that exists yet for a film still in its Korean theatrical run.
The one number worth waiting for lands around September 28 — the final Chuseok weekend ranking. Everything else (streaming, international release) follows from how big this film turns out to be.
Cover photo: AI-generated illustration (movie theater) — AI-generated image, illustrative only
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