The director's cut version ofhit Korean film April Snow, starringBae Yong-joon, has broken the all-time record for first-day advance ticketsales in Japan.

Distributed by UIP in Japan, the film grossed $24.2m (Y2.75bn) last year, makingit the second most successful Korean film ever at the Japanese box officebehind A Moment To Remember. Thedirector's cut will be released on September 9, a full year after its originaltheatrical run.

The longer version ofdirector Hur Jin-ho's romantic drama will feature both extended scenes,completely new scenes and a different ending, for a total of 30 extra minutesof footage. Screenings will be held at Toho Cinemas Roppongi Hills flagshiptheatre in Tokyo and at Toho Cinemas Takatsuki in Osaka.

Advance ticket sales beganon July 7 and large crowds forced tickets to go on sale two hours earlier thanoriginally scheduled. According to local media, ticket sales at Roppongi topped5,800 and 3,200 at Osaka. This set an all-time record for first-day advanceticket sales for a single film, including Hollywood and local films, and wide and limited releases, suchas this one.

Tours for the sole purposeof buying the tickets were also prearranged for those outside of the twocities. Advance ticket buyers will receive a limited-edition postcard depictingan image from the director's cut.

The accompanying DVD will bereleased soon after, on September 21, packaged in a deluxe case and including abooklet.

Bae Yong-joon, known as"Yon-sama" in Japan, was one of the key figures of the Korean wave which saw an unprecedentedexchange of films and music between the two nations.

Although the wave is nowwaning, Bae still has a huge following among Japanese women and has inspired avirtual industry of tours, merchandise and events.