[News] “Gwanghae: the Man Who Became the King” sets industry record.

[News] “Gwanghae: the Man Who Became the King” sets industry record.
Cr. - http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/

The historical film “Gwanghae: the Man Who Became the King” starring Hallyu star Lee Byung-hun surpassed the 10 million viewer mark Saturday, becoming the second local film this year to surpass that milestone.

It is the first time two Korean films have broken the 10 million audience member mark in their opening year. In Korea, films drawing between three to four million movie-goers are considered box-office successes. Only five other local films have ever passed the 10 million mark.

“The Thieves,” a heist movie about 10 Korean and Chinese thieves who plot to steal a diamond from a Macau casino, set a new all-time record earlier this month, drawing an audience of more than 13 million viewers.

Other leaders at the box office this year have been “Dancing Queen” (4.09 million), “Nameless Gangster” (4.68 million), “All About My Wife” (4.58 million) and “Architecture 101” (4.1 million).

With those box-office hits, the local film industry is leaping toward another peak year, following 2006 when “The Host” by director Bong Joon-ho set the previous audience record.