Historical film “12.12: The Day” surpassed $1 million in revenue in the North American market, becoming the biggest Korean film in the region this year, its distributor Plus M Entertainment said Wednesday.

The film is the first Korean film in over a year to surpass the milestone in North America, after “The Roundup,” which premiered in May 2022.

“12.12: The Day” premiered on Nov. 23 in the United States and started off screening in just three theaters in Los Angeles, but has since expanded its screening to some 50 theaters throughout the country as it gained popularity.

The film attracted over 10.8 million moviegoers in Korea as of Wednesday, according to the Korean Film Council’s integrated computer network for tickets. It’s the most-viewed film domestically this year, followed by “The Roundup: No Way Out.”

“12.12: The Day” depicts events during nine hours of the historic day of Dec. 12, 1979, when a military coup d’état was about to break out in Seoul. Actors Hwang Jung-min and Jung Woo-sung play fictional versions of former president Chun Doo Hwan and a military leader who opposes him.

The film was directed by Kim Sung-su, who is known for films such as “Beat” (1997),” “Musa” (2001) and “Asura: The City of Madness” (2016).

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]