'Slam Dunk' movie is first to sell 1 million tickets in Korea this year

Main poster for ″The First Slam Dunk″ [SMG HOLDINGS]

The film version of the popular basketball manga series "Slam Dunk" (1990-96) became the first movie of the year to hit 1 million ticket sales in Korea.

"The First Slam Dunk," written and directed by Takehiko Inoue, the writer of the original manga series, hit local theaters on Dec. 3. The Korean Film Council announced Tuesday that the film surpassed 1 million cumulative ticket sales as of 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

Since its release, “The First Slam Dunk” has maintained the top spot at the Korean box office for 13 consecutive days and also took the crown in the box office race for overall ticket sales.

Recording a high ticket sale rate of over 30 percent in the first weekend of its release, “The First Slam Dunk” has profited from word-of-mouth marketing, according to the distributor SMG Holdings.

The film is showing in cinemas across the country.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]