Seoul City has started showing Korean movies with foreign language subtitles, including Japanese for the first time, officials said Tuesday.

In cooperation with CGV Theater, one of the country’s largest cinema chains, the city has offered the foreign language service at five theaters since 2009.

This month the Japanese language subtitle service began first at a CGV branch in Myeong-dong, a popular shopping district in downtown Seoul, especially among Japanese travelers.

The first movie to be screened with Japanese subtitles is “Mama,” a drama about mothers and their children, the city said.

Last year, the city showed 19 Korean movies subtitled in English, attracting 35,000 foreign residents and travelers.

Following the Japanese subtitle service this year, the city plans to offer Chinese subtitles soon for the growing number of Chinese residents and travelers, officials said.

For more information, call CGV Theater at 1544-1122 or 120 Dasan Call Center, a city-run telephone counseling center.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)