Strange things are happening at the South Korean box office. Chief among them is that The Admiral: Roaring Currents, a homegrown movie about a 1597 sea battle, has overtaken 2009 Hollywood hit Avatar's 13.3 million admissions, setting a new box office record.
In the seven weeks since its July 30 release, the South Korean film has notched up 17.5 million admissions (with a gross approaching US$135 million). In a country of 50 million people, that's more than a third of the population.
The Admiral does fit into a broader trend for lavish historical epics. The summer season features three blockbuster films, all set during the Joseon dynasty (1392-1897). The other two are Kundo: Age of the Rampant, a Robin Hood-like story of class rebellion starring Ha Jung-woo and Kang Dong-won; and Pirates, which stars Son Ye-jin and is obviously inspired in part by the Pirates of the Caribbean series.