Film 'Roaring Currents' tops 8m viewers at box office

A homegrown action film about a 16th-century Korean naval hero's astonishing victory against Japan has surpassed 8 million viewers at a record pace, the movie's investor-distributor said Friday.

"Roaring Currents" exceeded the milestone on Friday morning, the 10th day since it opened, attracting more than 8.14 million moviegoers, CJ Entertainment said.

It passed the 8 million mark in the fastest time in local box-office history. The previous record was 16 days set by "The Thieves" in 2012.

The historical drama starring Choi Min-shik tells the story of Admiral Yi Sun-shin's victory in the battle of Myeongnyang against Japan in 1597, when he defeated more than 300 Japanese ships with only 12 vessels.

Industry sources forecast the film will easily break the 10 million mark over the weekend as an average of 1 million tickets have been sold for the film per day. (Yonhap)