Disaster Movie topped 4.5 million over weekend

The big-budget action, portraying a fictional tsunami that hits a popular beach in the Korean port city of Busan, drew nearly 4.55 million viewers as of Sunday, the film's 12th day of screening, the state-run film institute said.

Currently playing at some 870 theaters nationwide, "Haeundae" continues to top the local box office, followed by ski-jumping film "Take Off" and Disney-Pixar's first 3D digital movie, "Up," which opened July 29.

"Haeundae," directed by Yoon Je-kyoon, is a local take on the classic Hollywood disaster formula, starring several big names including Seol Gyunggu, Ha Ji-won, Park Joong-hoon and Eom Jung-wha.

South Korean films have been holding up relatively well among a deluge of Hollywood blockbusters this summer as they venture into genres normally dominated by U.S. films. South Korean movies saw their worst sales figures in eight years in 2008, falling by more than 20 percent from the previous year.