South Korean film industry ends year strong with domestic pics

December 3, 2015
"Inside Men"

“Inside Men”

By Tae Hong

It seems South Korea’s film industry is ending its already-lucrative year on a high note with the box office success of films “The Priests” and “Inside Men.”

According to Yonhap, distributor CJ Entertainment said Thursday that “The Priests” had surpassed five million ticket sales this week, becoming the first Korean film released in the month of November to do so.

The film stars two top talents, Kim Yoon-seok and Kang Dong-won, as priests who use exorcism on a young, possessed girl.

Meanwhile, “Inside Men,” which also boasts an A-list cast comprising Lee Byung-hun and Jo Seung-woo, has drawn more than four million to theaters as of Wednesday, an impressive feat for an R-rated pic.

In “Inside Men,” a newspaper editor, a prosecutor and a politician fight in a battle for revenge, power and success.

Last week, the Korean Film Council said Korean films had drawn more than 100 million people to domestic theaters for the fourth record-breaking year in a row.

Among this year’s notable hits were “Veteran,” “Assassination” and “Sado,” which all contributed to about $676 million in revenue from a total of 229 South Korean films.