[Arirang TV] Yon-sama Fever Revived by Release of April-Snow

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Last Saturday, the Korean movie "April Snow" debuted at 400 screens across Japan, attracting 150,000 moviegoers. Korean actor Bae Yong-joon, better known as Yon-sama in Japan, is the heartthrob behind this turnout of largely female fans. The Yon-sama fever sparked by the Korean television drama "Winter Sonata" is set to get a boost with the launch of the movie. Japanese daily Sankei Sports reported at a cinema in Tokyo on the first day of release that 99 percent of the audience members were women, and movie souvenirs raised around 10 billion Japanese yen, some US$90 million. Massive profits are expected from fan paraphernalia such as lipstick engraved with the actor's name. Distributor United International Pictures says the movie could break the record of the biggest Asian box-office hit in Japan, set by director Zhang Yimou's "Hero," which raised 4 billion yen, or US$35 million. Arirang News

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