A domestic film depicting the life of a typical father from Korea's older generation has attracted more than 8 million viewers, its investor-distributor said Tuesday.
"Ode to My Father" exceeded the milestone at 8 a.m. 21 days after it opened on Dec. 17, CJ Entertainment said. The pace is four days faster than "Miracle in Cell No. 7" that attracted 12.8 million viewers in 2013.
The success comes amid controversy over the film's alleged attempt to beautify the past under the rule of authoritarian regimes and idealize it.
Directed by Youn Je-kyun, who is best known for the 2009 hit film "Haeundae," "Ode to My Father" tells the story of an ordinary father named Deok-su (played by Hwang Jung-min) who sacrificed himself to support his family through the country's turbulent modern history from the 1950-53 Korean War till recently.
The human drama drew a record 751,253 people on Thursday alone, the largest-ever number of viewers for a single film on New Year's Day.
Industry watchers say that if the current trend continues, the movie is expected to become this year's first movie to top 10 million in attendance. (Yonhap)
