Korean sports film draws over 5 million viewers

Ticket sales for the Korean ski jumping film "Take Off (Gukgadaepyo)" topped 5 million over the weekend, becoming the second most-watched local film among this year`s releases, the Korean Film Council said Monday and Yonhap News reported.

Featuring the country`s oft-overlooked national ski jumping team, the film drew more than 5.2 million viewers as of Sunday, its 26th day of screening, the film council said.

"Take Off" is the second movie to surpass the 5-million viewer mark among this year`s domestic releases following "Haeundae," and continues to top the local box office.

"Haeundae," a big-budget disaster film directed by Yoon Je-kyoon, has drawn more than 10 million viewers, according to its distributor JK Films, becoming the fifth Korean movie to reach the milestone.

Part non-fiction, "Take Off" spotlights a hodge-podge ski jumping team assembled to support a bid by the Korean city of Muju for the Winter Olympics in 1996. Directed by Kim Yong-hwa, creator of the 2006 box office hit "200 Pound Beauty," the film stars actor Ha Jeong-woo, who plays a Korean-American adoptee and former U.S. junior alpine skier.