S. Korean moviegoers surge in January: report

SEOUL, Feb. 6 (Yonhap) -- The number of South Korean cinema goers surged 27
percent in January from the same month last year, a local report said Friday,
providing hope for the industry hit by an ongoing economic downturn and rampant
illegal online downloads.
Some 16.5 million people went to theaters last month, an increase of 16 percent
from the previous month, according to CJ CGV, the country's largest cinema
operator.
The diverse genre of recently released movies and the lengthy Lunar New Year
holiday, which ran from Jan. 24-27 including a weekend, appear to have attracted
the larger number of audiences, the multiplex cinema chain said.
Domestic movies took up 46.8 percent of the cinema market, backed by three
long-running films including "A Frozen Flower" and "Speed Scandal."
"A Frozen Flower," directed by poet-turned-director Yoo Ha, pulled in 3.2 million
viewers.
hayney@yna.co.kr
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