'Once We Were Us' stays atop box office as Korean films sweep top five in reservations

▲ This poster of South Korean melodrama film “Once We Were Us”

SEOUL, Jan. 30 (Yonhap) -- "Once We Were Us," starring Koo Kyo-hwan and Moon Ga-young, continued its solo run at the top of the box office, as Korean films dominated reservation rankings through fifth place, industry data showed Friday.

According to the Korean Film Council’s box office tracking system, the film drew about 28,000 moviegoers on Wednesday, accounting for 22.4 percent of ticket sales, to maintain its No. 1 spot. Cumulative admissions reached roughly 2.143 million.

"Choir of God," starring Park Si-hoo and Jung Jin-woon, held onto second place with about 24,000 admissions and an 18.3 percent share of sales.

"Avatar: Fire and Ash" ranked third with about 9,000 viewers, while "Send Help," starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien and released on Jan. 28, placed fourth after attracting some 6,000 moviegoers.

Paul Feig’s latest film "The Housemaid," which drew around 6,000 viewers, and the thriller "Sister," starring Jung Ji-so, Lee Soo-hyuk and Cha Joo-young, followed in fifth and sixth place, respectively.

As of 9 a.m. Thursday, Korean films occupied all of the top five spots in advance ticket sales, including both currently screening and upcoming releases.

Topping the reservation chart was "The Man Who Lives With the King," set for release on Feb. 4, with about 71,000 tickets sold, translating to a 16.6 percent reservation rate.

Director Ryoo Seung-wan’s upcoming film "Humint," slated to open on Feb. 11, ranked second with a 15.1 percent share, or roughly 64,000 advance tickets sold. Opening the same day, "Number One," starring Choi Woo-shik, Gong Seung-yeon and Jang Hye-jin, placed third with 8.4 percent, or about 36,000 reservations.

"Once We Were Us" ranked fourth in reservations with 7.3 percent, or around 31,000 tickets, making it the highest-ranked among films currently in theaters.

"Choir of God" followed in fifth place with about 27,000 advance tickets sold, accounting for 6.4 percent of reservations and ranking second among ongoing releases.

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