Korean coming-of-age romance draws buzz with APEC host appearance

With a lineup of young stars including Kang Ha-neul, Kim Young-kwang, and Cha Eun-woo, the film First Ride opened with strong box-office momentum. The film began screenings last Wednesday and has held the No. 1 spot at the box office for five straight days, from opening day through yesterday, beating the Japanese animated feature Chainsaw Man: Leze Arc to lead the charts. According to the Korea Film Council’s integrated box-office data, First Ride has drawn about 368,000 cumulative admissions to date, and its popularity is attributed to the film’s bright, upbeat coming-of-age atmosphere as well as Cha Eun-woo’s presence as host at the APEC summit welcome banquet, which amplified the buzz around the movie.