Anchor: The South Korean science-fiction thriller "Snowpiercer" has made eight-point-two billion won in China. It's the best first week performance of any Korean film released in that country. Snowpiercer will hit theaters in North America this summer.
Our Kim Soyon has more.
 
Report: The post-apocalyptic thriller "Snowpiercer," directed by Bong Joon-ho, has earned eight-point-two billion won or about 47 million yuan in ticket sales since it opened last Monday in China.
 
Based on statistics from Chinese film database "Enbase," the film's distributor CJ E&M said Snowpiercer ranks just second at the box office in China behind Hollywood 3D action movie "Need for Speed."
 
Snowpiercer's performance outpaced South Korean director Kim Tae-yong’s film "Late Autumn," which held the record for the best first week performance of Korean films in China.
 
Late Autumn drew seven-point-seven billion won in box office sales in its first week in 2012. The love story holds the record for best box office total earnings for a Korean film in China as well.
 
CJ says Snowpiercer is the top film-related search word on China's social networking site Weibo. The movie has also received the best review scores on Chinese online cinema portal Mtime among movies being screened now. 
 
The firm says Snowpiercer is expected to exceed Late Autumn's final box office tally.
 
The sci-fi thriller made its overseas debut in France last October. It has since opened in ten countries including Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and Italy. The film will be open on June 27th in North America, the world's largest film market. 
Kim Soyon, KBS World Radio News