'Avatar' sweeps New Year box office in S. Korea

SEOUL, Jan. 4 (Yonhap) -- Hollywood blockbusters, led by James Cameron's 3-D epic
"Avatar," dominated South Korea's box office for the first weekend of the New
Year, with a single homegrown film listed among the top 10, data showed Monday.

Avatar drew 1.25 million people from Friday through Sunday, taking in 43 percent
of the nationwide audience during the period and breaking the 6 million mark just
two weeks after its release, according to the Korean Film Council, which collects
box office data across the country through an online movie ticket network.
In second place came "Jeon Woo Chi: The Taoist Wizard," directed by Choi
Dong-hoon and based on a novel about a legendary, wayward Taoist from the 16th
century. With 800,000 tickets sold over the three-day period, Jeon Woo Chi
absorbed 27 percent of the total audience as the only Korean film to stay among
the most popular 10 movies. It has so far drawn 3.26 million since its Dec. 23
release.
Mystery action movie "Sherlock Holmes" was third with 363,000 people (12
percent), followed by the family film "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel"
with 190,000 people and "Nine," a musical that follows the life of an Italian
director, with 189,000 people.
"In the period of November to December, there were not many Korean movies newly
released and compelling enough to sweep the box office," said Han Seung-hee, a
market researcher at the film council.
Overall in 2009, local films accounted for around 30 percent of the newly
released films and took in about half of the total audience, Han said.
hkim@yna.co.kr
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