Director Park Chan-wook's new film "Decision to Leave" topped the box office on its opening day, attracting over 330,000 viewers. According to the Korea Film Council's Integrated Computer Network for Cinema Admission Tickets on the 24th, "Decision to Leave" was watched by 331,518 people that day, generating a total ticket sales revenue of 26.44 billion won. This is considered the highest opening score among Park Chan-wook's films.

"Decision to Leave" tells the story of Mansu (played by Lee Byung-hun), a middle-aged office worker who, after being laid off, decides to find a new job to maintain his family's stable life and eliminates his job-seeking competitors. Director Park has long wanted to produce this film, which is based on the novel "The Ax" by American author Donald Westlake.

The film garnered high expectations following positive reviews at the Venice International Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival. "Decision to Leave" was invited to the competition section of the Venice International Film Festival and premiered there as a world premiere. It also won the Audience Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. Additionally, it was selected as the opening film of the Busan International Film Festival, enhancing its prestige at the festival.

The film's success was also supported by the government's movie discount voucher distribution program. Since the end of July, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has distributed 4.5 million movie discount vouchers, with demand concentrated on "Decision to Leave." Ticket reservation rates surged sharply the day before the release with the distribution of discount vouchers, and on the opening day, the "Culture Day" discount was also applied, attracting a large audience.

However, there are concerns within the film industry about the sustainability of the film's success. Currently, there is a lack of competitive works in theaters that could create synergistic effects. Director Yeon Sang-ho's "Face" is performing better than expected but is clearly limited as a small film with a production budget of 200 million won. Additionally, "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinite Train Arc" is weakening in audience attraction.

Audience evaluations are mixed. According to the CGV Egg Index, the actual viewer rating for "Decision to Leave" is 84%, which is not very high. While the actors' performances, Director Park's mise-en-scène, and black humor have received praise, there are also criticisms that the narrative drags and it is difficult to empathize with the protagonist.

A film industry official said, "Interest in watching films has increased due to the Busan International Film Festival, and with the upcoming Chuseok holiday, it is expected to have a positive impact on the box office."

"Decision to Leave" has been selected as South Korea's official submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the Academy Awards to be held in the United States next March. Director Park Chan-wook's unique artistic vision and the passionate performances of actors Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yum Hye-ran, and Cha Seung-won are eliciting strong responses from audiences.

The box office trend of "Decision to Leave" is expected to receive even more attention during the Chuseok holiday. There is keen interest in how Director Park Chan-wook's new work will resonate with viewers.