▲ Jun Ji-hyun plays Se-jeong in the zombie thriller "Colony," in this photo provided by Showbox. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Korean film-admissions

Zombie thriller 'Colony' sets year's opening-day record

SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- Director Yeon Sang-ho's newest film, "Colony," has claimed the highest first-day ticket sales of the year, drawing nearly 200,000 moviegoers upon its release Thursday.

The Korean film recorded 199,768 admissions on its opening day, according to data released by the Korean Film Council on Friday.

It marked the biggest number of first-day admissions logged this year, outnumbering the previous record held by the Hollywood comedy "The Devil Wears Prada 2" at around 150,000.

Propelled by the record-setting number, the film comfortably debuted at No. 1 at the box office.

"Colony" is the latest in Yeon's zombie thrillers that include megahit "Train to Busan" (2016). It follows biotechnology professor Se-jeong (Jun Ji-hyun) and a group of survivors who fight to escape a building quarantined due to a virus outbreak.

As of 9 a.m., the film topped ticket reservation rates at theaters nationwide at 49.3 percent, followed by "Michael" at 12.9 percent and "Wild Sing" at 6.7 percent, according to the data.

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