The Korean historical film "Gwanghae: the Man Who Became the King" reigns at the local box office, breaking the 5 million mark in attendance numbers, officials said Monday.

The movie, directed by Choo Chang-min and starring top actor Lee Byung-hun, drew 5.23 million viewers as of Monday, 18 days after its release, according to the Korean Film Commission.

Actor Lee plays dual roles as King Gwanghae, the 15th ruler of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), and the humble acrobat Ha-sun, who stands in for the monarch when he faces the threat of being poisoned.

Gwanghae is known as one of the unfortunate figures in history, as he was deposed in a coup and thus failed to earn a temple name.

It became the second local movie to draw more than 5 million viewers this year after "The Thieves."

The Thieves has attracted more than 13 million viewers as of Sept. 29, to become the country's second top-selling film ever, according to its distributor. (Yonhap)