‘Attorney’ top film in Korea

Over the weekend, Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” lost its traction at the top of the box office to local film “The Attorney,” which scraped in 12.7 billion won ($11.9 million) since opening Wednesday.

In its first week, the drama based on real-life events in Busan in the 1980s garnered attention, not just for the fact that it evokes memories of late President Roh Moo-hyun, but because it stars one of Korea’s hottest actors, Song Kang-ho.

The film puts a full stop to Song’s colorful filmography for this year, which saw him take on the Korean blockbuster “Snowpiercer” and the period drama “Face Reader.”

Meanwhile, “The Hobbit” sequel was No. 2 and has pulled in more than 12.7 billion won since its release on Dec.12.

The part sci-fi, part rom-com “About Time,” starring Rachel McAdams from “The Notebook,” was No. 3.

Fourth place was taken by Jeon Do-yeon’s latest film, another reality-based tale, “The Way Back Home.”

The fifth to seventh spots were taken by lighthearted films, mostly geared toward younger audiences, from “Walking with Dinosaurs” to “Steal My Heart” and “Planes.”

In eighth place is the festive animation “Saving Santa,” followed by the horror film, “Insidious: Chapter 2” and the Japanese drama, “Like Father, Like Son.”

BY CARLA SUNWOO [carlasunwoo@joongang.co.kr]