SEOUL, May 22 -- Director Yeon Sang-ho's latest zombie thriller Colony has surged to the top of the box office after recording the highest first-day admissions of the year, according to Yonhap News Agency.

The film drew 199,768 cinema admissions on its opening day, Yonhap reported, citing data from the Korean Film Council.

That figure places it ahead of all other releases this year and surpasses the previous record of around 150,000 set by the Hollywood comedy The Devil Wears Prada 2.

With the strong debut, Colony secured the No. 1 spot at the box office, comfortably leading new and returning titles.

The film marks Yeon's return to the zombie genre following global hit Train to Busan (2016).

It stars Jun Ji-hyun as biotechnology prof...