Most of those who watched Smugglers highly praised the actors' method of acting, intense action sequences, and Ryu Seung Wan's tight and skillful direction, leaving no room for criticism.
Audiences left genuine praise such as "Finally watched a refreshing movie," "The presence of the actors was amazing, and the story was incredible," "A movie where all elements fit together like a puzzle - acting, direction, and music," "Spent a cool two hours in the theater. It was hot outside, but this movie was refreshing," and so much more! Smugglers is expected to spread even more positive word-of-mouth at the weekend box office, fueled by the audience's enthusiastic reception.
According to distributor NEW on the 29th, Smugglers exceeded one million cumulative viewers at 11:40 AM on the same day. It became the second Korean film to achieve one million viewers in the shortest time after The Roundup: No Way Out this year. Among domestic films released this year, only Smugglers, The Roundup: No Way Out, The Point Men, and Dream have reached the milestone of one million viewers.
Released on the 26th, Smugglers is set in the 1970s in the coastal village of Guncheon, where haenyeos (female divers) get involved in smuggling. The movie stars actors Kim Hye Soo, Yeom Jung Ah, Park Jung Min, Zo In Sung, Kim Jong Soo, and Go Min Shi, with director Ryu Seung Wan, who previously directed the one million viewer film Veteran, at the helm.
Smugglers topped the box office from its first release day and has held the No. 1 spot for three consecutive days.
According to the Korean Film Council's integrated computer network for movie ticket sales, Smugglers recorded 229,252 admissions (totaling 778,036 admissions) until the previous day, July 28th, securing the top spot at the box office.