The share of domestic films this year is expected to record 60 percent on average, according to the box-office chain CJ CGV on November 6.
CJ CGV's report says that the average share of Korean movies in the first ten months of the year (based on Seoul viewers) stood at 61.9 percent. CGV predicts that the overall share of domestic movies for the year will surpass 60 percent even if the shares for November and December turn out lower than expected.
It is the first time since the Korea Film Council began estimating domestic movies' shares in 1998 that the average annual share of Korean films surpassed 60 percent. Since 1998, the average annual share of Korean films has tripled in just eight years from 21.3 percent.
A person from CGV said the targeted share for 2006 will likely be easily achieved as no foreign blockbusters are expected to open in November and December except for "The Devil Wears Prada".
In October, domestic movies held 83.1 percent of the film market, the largest share for the year. That can be ascribed to the opening of such big hits as "The War Of Flower", "Radio Star" and "Marrying the Mafia III", which opened around the Chuseok holidays.
More than 1,410 viewers visited theaters in October alone, 32.6 percent more than in the same period a year ago and 31 percent more than in September. The accumulated number of moviegoers for the January-October period reached 140,842,584 people.
The top ranks in October were taken by domestic movies, while foreign movies ended up taking the lower spots, with "The Devil Wears Prada" finishing sixth, "BB Project" finishing ninth and "World Trade Center" finishing tenth.
"The War Of Flower", which topped the October ranks, became the second most popular PG-rated movie after "Friend" by breaking the stereotype that only comedy movies can succeed during the Chuseok season. Another domestic blockbuster, "The Host", had drawn 12.97 million viewers as of late October, according to CGV.
English ) 
US$5 off (order min. US$5)
