Cosmetic surgery rom-com 200 Pounds Beauty formerly held the record for highest grossing Korean film released in China.

Sci-fi ocean thriller Sector 7 has broken the box office record in China for top-grossing Korean film, according to leading South Korean investor/distributor CJ Entertainment.

The 3D creature feature clocked up $3.1m (CNY20m) by Dec 14 after it opened on 4,000 screens Dec 6.

The film was the top grossing foreign film the week of its release, and at the same time, placed no. 2 in the foreign and domestic film chart. Credited with an effective online marketing campaign, Sector 7 is the first large-scale 3D film from Korea to open in China. Lead actress Ha Ji-won has also been rising in popularity there, thanks to her roles in TV series such as Secret Garden.

Produced by blockbuster Haeundae director JK Youn, Sector 7 is directed by Kim Ji-hoon (May 18). The film stars Ha (Haeundae), Ahn Sung-ki (The Divine Weapon, Silmido), and Oh Ji-ho (My Wife Is a Gangster) as a group of people on an oil rig who discover more than expected deep in the sea.

Cosmetic surgery rom-com 200 Pounds Beauty formerly held the record for highest grossing Korean film released in China. The film had clocked up $2.5m (CNY16m) in 2006.

Earlier this year, Sector 7 did a slew of pre-sales including to France (TF1), Germany (MFA+), Indonesia/Philippines (VSG), and the Middle East (Shooting Stars).

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