On January 12, an event for the movie “Bogota: City of the Lost” was held, with videos of the event later uploaded to YouTube.

Present at this event were the movie’s lead actors, Song Joong-ki and Lee Hee-joon, alongside special guest Lee Sung-min.

At the event, Lee Sung-min candidly remarked, “When I arrived here, I noticed the parking lot was almost empty. It broke my heart. It seems like there are very few people in the theater. There could be many reasons for this, but when theaters are empty, it’s incredibly tough for actors. Especially when a film is released during such a time, it makes you feel like dying.”

 

As Lee Sung-min spoke, Song Joong-ki nodded silently, visibly moved by his words.

Lee Sung-min continued, “But we have to endure because that’s our role as actors. Please lend your support to help our movie do well and conclude on a positive note.”  

Later on, Song Joong-ki took the microphone. He shared, “As my senior mentioned, Korean cinema is going through a very difficult time. Honestly, just having a film screen in theaters right now is something to be grateful for. I worked harder than ever on promotions because I wanted to let people know about this film and present it in the best light.  

“Even though the film industry is struggling, our role as actors is to create good content that comforts and entertains audiences who are facing tough times. We’ll continue to pour our hearts into diverse projects to bring strength and joy to everyone”, he added.

“I’m getting choked up just talking about this…” he said, pausing as his voice trembled. After composing himself, he concluded with a simple “Thank you,” his eyes brimming with tears. Lee Sung-min, too, appeared on the verge of tears.

Released on December 31, 2024, “Bogota: City of the Lost” has faced devastating box office results. As of January 15, the film has only drawn 400,000 viewers, far from its breakeven point of 3 million.

With this, Song Joong-ki is recording three consecutive box office failures in movies, starting with “Hopeless” (approximately 260,000 viewers) in 2023, followed by “My Name Is Loh Kiwan” and “Bogota: City of the Lost”.

It seems that  the public’s trust in Song Joong-ki’s movies is collapsing as his acting skills are revealed, including the awkward pronunciation and floating acting tone, as well as his weak ability to attract viewers.

Along with the box office failures of his movies, he is also steadily accumulating a negative image. In particular, Song Joong-ki was previously criticized for taking a career break and complaining about losing opportunities after becoming a father.

In addition, he recently appeared on a YouTube entertainment show to promote and was criticized for referring to his wife as “that girl”, which seemed to be belittling her.