Audience numbers for South Korean movies recorded a seven-year low for the month of August.

According to a report by the Korean Film Council released Saturday, Korean films drew 18 million moviegoers last month, down by four-point-two million from the same period last year.

It's the first time in seven years for the August tally to dip below 20 million.

Pundits blame the dismal performance on the lack of box office hits.

Such summer blockbusters in past years included "Roaring Currents," "Veteran," "A Taxi Driver" and "Along With the Gods: The Last 49 Days."

This year the disaster action comedy "Exit" was the highest box office hit drawing just under eight-point-three million audience members.

The Film Council cited "spectator fatigue" resulting from high-budget genre films of similar motifs hitting theaters repeatedly.

It also said that four films that drew ten million viewers concentrated in the year's first half also factored in to explain the lower demand for summer.