The number of moviegoers during the extended Chuseok holiday surged nearly 50 percent, largely driven by the success of the crime-action film "I, the Executioner," data showed Thursday.

From Saturday to Wednesday, local theaters saw 4.66 million visitors, a 49.7 percent increase compared with the 3.11 million recorded from Sept. 28 to Oct. 3 last year, according to the Korean Film Council.

However, this year's figure remains lower than the 5.13 million attendees recorded over the three-day Chuseok holiday in 2019.

The strong performance is attributed to "I, the Executioner," a sequel to the 2015 blockbuster "Veteran." The film alone attracted more than 3.9 million viewers over the five-day period, accounting for an impressive 84.5 percent of total moviegoers.

A poster of "I, the Executioner" is shown in a movie theater in Seoul on Sept. 19, 2024. (Yonhap) 

Released last Friday, the film has already surpassed its break-even point of 4 million viewers, with a total audience of 4.45 million. During the holiday, the movie occupied 67.3 percent of theater seats, facing little competition from other releases.

Directed by Ryoo Seung-wan, "I, the Executioner" follows Detective Seo Do-cheol (Hwang Jung-min), who leads the Violent Crimes Unit in investigating a series of brutal murders allegedly carried out by a serial killer. The investigation takes unexpected twists when Seo's team brings in rookie officer Park Sun-woo (Jung Hae-in), whose involvement shifts the case in surprising directions.

Written by Woo Jae-yeon