Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.
'My Daughter is a Zombie' smashes box office, hits 3 mil. views in just 11 days
Clockwise from front row center, actors Jo Jung-suk, Choi Yu-ri, Cho Yeo-jeong, Yoon Kyung-ho, and Lee Jung-eun pose in a "Thank You" poster to celebrate their movie “My Daughter Is a Zombie” surpassing 3 million admissions. Courtesy of NEW
By Baek Byung-yeul
The Korean box office is buzzing with the success of “My Daughter is a Zombie," a comedic drama that has captivated audiences nationwide as the zombie-comedy film officially surpassed 3 million cumulative viewers on Saturday, just 11 days after its release on July 30, making it the fastest film of 2025 to reach this milestone.
According to data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), the movie logged 3,000,558 viewers as of 8:05 p.m. on Saturday. This achievement places "My Daughter is a Zombie" at No. 4 on this year's box office chart, overtaking blockbusters like "Mickey 17."
The film’s remarkable speed reaching the 3 million viewer milestone is unprecedented this year. For instance, "Mission: Impossible — Final Reckoning" took 23 days, “Yadang: The Snitch” took 23 days and “Mickey 17” and "F1: The Movie" needed 39 days and 40 days, respectively, to hit the same mark.
The film's success also echoes that of previous summer hits. It matched the record of 2023's top summer film, "Smugglers," and reached the milestone one day faster than 2024's "Pilot." This string of hits further solidifies lead actor Jo Jung-suk's reputation as a summer box office king, with his recent filmography reliably turning out summer hits.
In a video released on distributor NEW's official social media channels, the cast and crew — including actors Jo, Lee Jung-eun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Yoon Kyung-ho, Choi Yu-ri and director Pil Gam-seong — expressed their gratitude to audiences.
They also announced they would be fulfilling their "3 million viewer pledge." During a live broadcast on YouTube on July 15, Jo and Yoon promised to perform a dance challenge to “Soda Pop,” a popular song featured in Netflix’s animated feature “KPop Demon Hunters” if the film reached the 3 million mark, a promise audiences are now eagerly anticipating.
"My Daughter is a Zombie" is a heartwarming yet hilarious story about a devoted father (Jo) who undergoes a top-secret training program to protect his daughter (Choi), who turns into a zombie.