'Innocence' passes 500,000 ticket sales amid virus-hit cinema downturn

Shin Hye-sun, left, and Bae Jong-ok, stars of Korea's No.1 box office hit “Innocence,” thanked the moviegoers after the film sold more than 500,000 tickets amid a gloomy theater market hit hard by COVID-19. Korea Times file

By Ko Dong-hwan

• Published Jun 21, 2020 3:20 PM KST
• Updated Jun 21, 2020 5:51 PM KST

By Ko Dong-hwan

“Innocence”

has defied the COVID-19 scare and attracted more than 500,000 theatergoers Saturday, further cementing its top box office spot since opening on June 10.

The record is particularly meaningful because cinemas here have been suffering from a huge audience loss due to the pandemic. After being discouraged from visiting public venues, people instead have increasingly opted for home movies via Netflix or to watch TV shows at home.

The Korea Film Council's ticket sales tally shows the movie has had an accumulated 500,507 audience via 919 screens nationwide.

The court thriller's achievement comes following consistent critical acclaim.

Sony Pictures Entertainment Korea and KIDARI ENT, which distributed the film, released Sunday photos of Shin Hye-sun, who plays the movie's female lead, and Bae Jong-ok, with a written message on a sketchbook showing their appreciation for those who watched the movie.

Directed by Park Sang-hyun, the film revolves around Jung-in (Shin), a lawyer at a prestigious law firm, and her estranged mother Hwa-ja (Bae Jong-ok).

When Hwa-ja is accused of killing a person with chemicals, Jung-in finds out that the town mayor and local residents are giving false testimonies and hiding the truth to thwart her investigation and court fight. She struggles to turn the tables to prove her mother's innocence, revealing the townspeople's dark secrets.

The film was originally set to premiere in March but was rescheduled twice due to COVID-19 cluster infections from March to May.