Actors Kwon Sang-woo, from right, Lee Yi-kyung and Jung Joon-ho are seen in the movie "Hitman 2." Courtesy of BY4M Studio

"Hitman 2" claimed the top spot during a decisive Lunar New Year holiday box office battle, proving lead actor Kwon Sang-woo to be a crowd-pleaser with his performance combining action and comedy.

The movie, which hit theaters nationwide on Jan. 22, attracted 177,133 admissions on Saturday, according to Korea Box Office Information System (KOBIS), maintaining its top position for the sixth straight day. In total, the movie garnered 1.83 million, edging out "Dark Nuns," starring Netflix's "The Glory" star Song Hye-kyo, which garnered over 1.36 million since its release on Jan. 24.

The sequel to the 2020 movie "Hitman" continues the successful formula by portraying the story of Jun (Kwon), a secret agent-turned-cartoonist who's framed for a terrorist attack that mimics his newly released online comic.

The plot thickens when the terrorist attack leads the National Intelligence Service to suspect Jun as a perpetrator and this setup paves the way for a series of comedic and action-packed sequences that have resonated well with holiday audiences.

Behind the movie's success, Kwon's promotional efforts for the film are also particularly noteworthy, as his sincere and sometimes unconventional approach to marketing the movie has garnered media attention and public interest.

An animation scene from movie "Hitman 2" / Courtesy of BY4M Studio

During the event he had with movie fans before its release, Kwon made headlines with his kneeling gesture.

At the event, he initially took a bold stance, saying "I don't want to weakly say, ‘Please watch this movie." He then surprised attendees by kneeling and saying "I am really desperate. I want to beat ‘Dark Nuns' and ‘Secret: Untold Melody' (other movies released around the same time as ‘Hitman 2)."

Kwon's promotional efforts extended beyond events with fans to social media platforms. When a YouTuber famous for reviewing TV dramas and movies posted a critical review of Kwon's movie, the actor commented on the posting, reading "Let's see… until the final score," a remark that quickly went viral.

These interactions with fans and critics demonstrated Kwon's commitment to his movie and his willingness to engage with audiences on a personal level.

Besides his efforts, the movie's family-friendly content appeals to diverse age groups during the holiday season. Additionally, the release date, timed for the holiday when many Koreans have time off work and school, contributed to its box office success.

It remains to be seen whether the 48-year-old actor's ambition to continue the "Hitman" franchise and make action films like his idol Jackie Chan will materialize, as he recently expressed in an interview his desire to keep producing more installments in the series and maintain his momentum in the action genre.