S. Korean film industry surpasses 2 trillion won ($1.8 billion) in sales for the first time

The South Korean film industry surpassed 2 trillion won, or about $1.8 billion, in sales for the first time last year, according to a Korean Film Council report Monday.

Sales — which include digital and overseas sales — rose 7.6 percent since 2013, although investment returns fell 0.3 percent, the report said.

Domestic movie ticket sales last year broke a record when they rose 7.3 percent from 2013 to earn about $1.5 billion, Yonhap reported.

The South Korean film industry has experienced a surge in numbers since 2012.

Last year, it surpassed 200 million ticket sales for the second year in a row, meaning, on average, each South Korean saw 4.19 films in theaters in 2014.