SEOUL: The Korean historical drama "Harbin" emerged as the leading contender at the box office during its opening weekend, attracting more than 2 million moviegoers. The film, which delves into a significant period of Korean history, drew an additional 903,000 viewers from Friday to Sunday, bringing the total admissions to 2.39 million, as reported by the Korean Film Council on Monday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, "Harbin" is set in 1909 and follows a group of Korean independence fighters led by Ahn Jung-geun, who plot to assassinate Ito Hirobumi, Japan's first prime minister and resident-general of Korea, at Harbin Station in northern China. The historical context of the film highlights a time when Korea was under oppressive Japanese colonial rule from 1910 to 1945. The movie, directed by Woo Min-ho, features actor Hyun Bin in the lead role, supported by a distinguished ensemble cast including Park Jung-min, Jeon Yeo-been, Jo Woo-jin, Yoo Jae-myung, Park Hoon, and Lee Dong-wook. The film was released on Christmas Eve and has quickly captivated audiences.

In the second spot was Kwak Kyung-taek's "Firefighters," a disaster drama that garnered 233,000 admissions over the weekend, increasing its total to 3.21 million. This figure represents the highest admission count for a Korean film released this year, underscoring its strong performance and appeal among viewers.

Disney's "Mufasa: The Lion King," a prequel to the beloved classic "The Lion King," claimed the third position with 120,000 viewers. Meanwhile, "Moana 2," the sequel following the adventures of a brave young Polynesian girl, ranked fourth with 99,000 admissions. These figures reflect the varied preferences of audiences, ranging from historical dramas to animated family films.