SEOUL -- South Korean films are experiencing one of their worst months in recent memory, with local productions taking a pounding at the hands of "300".

The Zack Snyder-directed behemoth remained at #1 in the box office for its second week, having taken over $13 million on 318 prints in its first 11 days.

Other imports are also faring well, with Euro co-production "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" debuting at #2 with $2.2 million on 232 prints; "The Number 23" landing at #3 with $1.4 million on 170 prints; and "The Break-Up" opening at #5 with $910,000 on 150 prints.

In a month with an uncharacteristically low number of local releases, only two Korean films cracked this week's top ten.

Cinema Service's critically acclaimed revenge thriller "Soo" by Korean-Japanese director Sai Yoichi took only $940,000 on 244 screens in its first week, while Showbox's "Big Bang" has amassed a disappointing $2.3 million after 11 days on release.

The weak performances come as the local industry grapples with the after-effects of a production glut in 2006, which many producers and investors believe has tipped the industry into a crisis.

© Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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