S. Korean disaster movie draws more than 4.5 million viewers

SEOUL, Aug. 3 (Yonhap) -- Ticket sales for the South Korean disaster movie
"Haeundae" topped 4.5 million over the weekend, drawing the largest number of
viewers in the shortest time period among this year's local releases, the Korean
Film Council said Monday.

The big-budget action, portraying a fictional tsunami that hits a popular beach
in the Korean port city of Busan, drew nearly 4.55 million viewers as of Sunday,
the film's 12th day of screening, the state-run film institute said.
Currently playing at some 870 theaters nationwide, "Haeundae" continues to top
the local box office, followed by ski-jumping film "Take Off" and Disney-Pixar's
first 3D digital movie, "Up," which opened July 29.
"Haeundae," directed by Yoon Je-kyoon, is a local take on the classic Hollywood
disaster formula, starring several big names including Seol Gyung-gu, Ha Ji-won,
Park Joong-hoon and Eom Jung-wha.
South Korean films have been holding up relatively well among a deluge of
Hollywood blockbusters this summer as they venture into genres normally dominated
by U.S. films. South Korean movies saw their worst sales figures in eight years
in 2008, falling by more than 20 percent from the previous year.
hayney@yna.co.kr
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