Two Korean films among 2014's top 10 foreign movies in North America

Two Korean films -- "Roaring Currents" and "Ode to My Father" -- ranked among the top 10 best-selling foreign films that opened in North American theaters last year, the movies' investor-distributor said Wednesday.

"'Roaring Currents' and 'Ode to My Father' took sixth and ninth place, respectively, garnering $2.59 million and $2.28 million in cumulative sales," CJ E&M said, citing recent data from Rentrak Corp. that provides a box office tracking service in North America.

This marks the first time in eight years since "The Host," a 2007 film by director Bong Joon-ho, that a Korean film was included as one the top 10 foreign films in box office rankings.

"In the United States, the two films soundly benefited from their success in their home country thanks to the short time gaps between their releases in the U.S. and Korean markets," said Lee Yoo-min, who is in charge of the company's investment and distribution of films in Americas.

"Roaring Currents," a historical action flick about a famous 16th-century naval victory against Japanese invaders and "Ode to My Father," an epic drama about a father's struggle to support his family through the country's turbulent modern history, opened in the U.S. two weeks and one week after their releases in South Korea in July 2014 and December 2014, respectively.

The two films drew 17.6 million and 14.2 million viewers in local theaters. (Yonhap)