Surpassing the previous record of Pixar's INSIDE OUT

Pixar Animation Studios' Elemental has drawn over 5 million moviegoers in the local box office, becoming the most-viewed Pixar film ever released in South Korea.

Elemental​, the Disney-owned animation studio's latest film, had garnered a cumulative audience of 5.03 million as of Monday, the 40th day of its release, according to the data compiled by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). It surpassed the previous record of Pixar's Inside Out (2015), which attracted 4.97 million viewers.

The figure is the third-highest box office record this year following Korean action comedy series The Roundup: No Way Out with 10.67 million admissions and Japanese animated film Suzume with 5.54 million admissions.

It posted 49.7 billion won (US$38.5 million) in ticket sales in South Korea, the second largest following the North American market with $137 million, which is considered a lackluster result for Pixar known for its creative and commercially successful animations.

Elemental tells a heartwarming story featuring four elements -- fire, water, land and air -- living in a bustling bayside city connected by bridges.

Korean American director Peter Sohn said earlier his second feature film was inspired by his own childhood in New York with parents who had emigrated from South Korea and made sacrifices, resonating with Korean audience.

A scene from Pixar Animation Studios' Elemental is seen in this image provided by the Walt Disney Company Korea. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) 

By Kim Eun-jung