Ma Seok-do (played by Ma Dong-seok), third from left, looks at smart phone with his colleagues in "The Roundup: Punishment."

The highly anticipated comedy action series, "The Roundup: Punishment," has seized the top spot with strong ticket presales, asserting certain dominance in cinemas ahead of its release on April 24.

This fourth film in The Roundup series features the indomitable detective Ma Seok-do, played by Ma Dong-seok, as he goes head-to-head with a massive illegal online gambling ring.

The criminal operation is led by Baek Chang-ki (Kim Moo-yul), a villain with a special forces background, and Jang Dong-chul (Lee Dong-hwi), a genius CEO in the IT industry.

The narrative intensifies as Ma collaborates with Jang Yi-soo (Park Ji-hwan), who returns from previous films, along with the combined might of the Violent Crimes Unit and Cyber Team, to dismantle the criminal network.

Having seen two of its predecessors surpass the 10 million viewers milestone, "The Roundup: Punishment" is already on track to become a blockbuster hit.

As of April 18, just six days before its debut, the film boasted an impressive prebooking ticket of 69.9 percent with 230,000 tickets sold thus far, eclipsing the reservations for "The Roundup: No Way Out," which recorded 50.9 percent (227,093 tickets) during the same period, and set a new record for the series.

Kim Moo-yul plays Baek Chang-ki in "The Roundup: Punishment."

This fourth film in the franchise has significantly heightened fan anticipation and affection, enhanced by the introduction of new antagonists portrayed by Kim Mu-yul and Lee Dong-hwi, along with the return of Park Ji-hwan.

The latest installment promises to deliver even more thrills and has already elicited rave reviews at its press screening, with critics lauding the flawless casting across both leading and supporting roles.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea Times, was translated by generative AI and edited by staff of The Korea Times.