“Frozen,” an animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, has drawn more than 9,030,000 viewers in Korea, becoming the second foreign film to reach that milestone, after James Cameron’s “Avatar.”

Loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s tale “The Snow Queen,” the film tells the story of Anna, a brave, determined princess who goes on an adventure to find her estranged sister, Elsa. Elsa has “icy powers” and her spell has trapped the nation in perpetual winter. The film, which premiered on Jan. 16, drew more than 1 million viewers in just four days after its release.

“Avatar” remains the highest-grossing film in Korea, as well as the only foreign film that made it onto the top 10 list of box office successes. It was released in local theaters in 2009, and drew a total of 13,624,328 viewers. “Frozen” is currently in 11th place, beating Shane Black’s “Iron Man 3.” Last year, 9 of the 10 highest-grossing movies were Korean films. The exception was “Iron Man 3.”

Earlier this month, “Frozen” also became the highest-grossing animated film ever in Korea, beating “Kung Fu Panda 2,” which was released here in 2011. “Let It Go,” the title track of the film’s soundtrack, sung by prominent Broadway singer Idina Menzel, is also enjoying much popularity in Korea, topping major local music charts including MelOn and Monkey 3.

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)