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KOFIC publishes statistics for first half of 2004


A KOFIC report on box-office statistics shows that Korean cinema amassed a record 61.9% market share for the first half of 2004. Films from the U.S. accounted for 36.1%, with Japanese (1.0%) and European (0.4%) films making up the remainder.

Overall box-office continued to grow, with Seoul alone posting 23,415,611 admissions -- a 13.5% rise over the same period last year. Figures for the nation as a whole are not available, but are expected to show even higher growth due to continued multiplex construction.

January was the strongest month of the year, with 5,234,241 admissions, boosted by the box-office performance of local films Silmido and Once Upon a Time in High School as well as The Return of the King. March, on the other hand, was the weakest with 2,733,513 admissions.

The best-grossing film of the year is also the top film of all time in Korea: KANG Je-gyu's Korean War film Taegukgi. The film has earned 3,509,563 admissions in Seoul. Following behind is KANG Woo-suk's Silmido with 2,567,826 (not including 694,174 admissions from 2003); Troy with 1,376,500 admissions to June 30; Once Upon a Time in High School with 1,020,869 admissions; and Mel GIBSON's Passion of the Christ with 940,311 admissions.

For the first time, Showbox led the distribution rankings with 24.3% of the local market. Following behind were Cinema Service (21.8%), CJ Entertainment (19.6%), Warner Bros (10.0%), 20th Century Fox (8.1%), Korea Pictures (5.5%), Columbia Tristar (3.3%), UIP (2.6%), Buena Vista International (1.4%), and Show East (0.8%).

Sumber: Korean Film Council (KOFIC) website

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