Anchor: Admiral Yi Sun-shin's 16th century victory has taken over Korea’s cultural scene. The domestic film "Roaring Currents" has hyped up the craze surrounding Admiral Yi, reminding Koreans of the remarkable battle of Myeongnyang where a 12-ship Korean fleet defeated 330 enemy warships.
Our Kim Soyon has more on the success of the film sparking a sense of national pride.  

Report: The Korean period action flick "Roaring Currents" is reigning at the box office, drawing over five million viewers in less than a week since its opening. 
 
The film reached the milestone four days earlier than other mega-hit movies like “Snowpiercer,” “The Thieves,” "The Host” and “Secretly, Greatly.”
 
According to the Korean Film Council's latest combined box office tally, Roaring Currents on Monday dominated the Korean movie market at an overwhelming share of 73 percent. On Tuesday, the movie set another Korean record, topping six-million ticket sales in a week. 
 
On top of opening day and weekend records, the movie also became the first film to cross one-million admissions in a single day on Saturday. It then beat its own record on Sunday with one-point-25 million viewers.
 
The film council's news editor Pierce Conran says the movie has shaken up this year’s dragging film scene by capturing the essence of national pride.
 
[Sound bite: Pierce Conran - editor, Korean Film Council] 
“Akin to a Korean naval version of the legendary Battle of Thermopylae with the famed 300 Spartans, 'Roaring Currents' has captured the imagination of local viewers with its take on Admiral Yi Sun-shin and the Battle of Myeongryang. Following a downbeat 2014, Korean theatergoers seem to have embraced the cinematic depiction of a national milestone they can be proud of."
 
Another film critic Darcy Paquet said the deadly ferry sinking of the Sewol ferry in April brought about a widespread sense of pessimism and people needed a hero. 
 
[Sound bite: Darcy Paquett, movie critic]
“I don’t think it is an outstanding work compared to
other recent Korean films. I think that audiences were looking for something
like this, and by that I mean a story of a triumph and also a story that
contains a strong leader that people can look up to and respect."

Korean movie expert Jason Bechervaise said the movie also stimulated nationalism among Koreans frustrated over Team Korea’s poor performance at the Brazil FIFA World Cup.
 
The Yi craze sparked on the silver screen is also brimming over to bookstores. The Kyobo Book Centre, the largest book store chain in South Korea, says some 150 of its books are Yi-related and their sales are up 54 percent from last year.
Kim Soyon, KBS World Radio News.