SEOUL, Dec. 5 (Korea Bizwire) – The number of admissions to local theaters this year is expected to surpass 200 million for the fourth straight year, a market tracker said Monday.
According to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), both domestic and foreign films have attracted more than 199.31 million viewers this year as of Monday morning.
The annual figure is sure to hit 200 million given that a daily average of 250,000 go to see movies on weekdays.
Korean cinemas have sold 215 million tickets in 2014 and 217.3 million in 2015 after passing the 200 million mark for the first time ever in 2013.
Homegrown movies already topped 100 million in attendance last month, breaking the threshold for the fifth year in a row.
A total of 307 Korean films have opened so far this year, surpassing the 300 mark for the first time. Including non-Korean films, the combined number of movies out this year comes to 1,447.
Local films made up 53 percent of total box office sales, similar to last year’s 52.6 percent.
Korean zombie thriller “Train to Busan,” seen by 11.56 million people, was the most-viewed film for this year.
It was followed by “A Violent Prosecutor,” a Korean crime comedy which attracted 9.7 million viewers, and “Captain America: Civil War,” a Hollywood blockbuster which drew 8.67 million. Coming next were Korean films, “The Age of Shadows” (7.5 million), “Tunnel” (7.1 million) and “Operation Chromite” (7 million).
(Yonhap)