Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.
Cinemas expand offerings to make up for slumping attendance
A poster displays footage of singer Lim Young-woong in "IM HERO," a film about his concert which will hit CJ CGV theaters nationwide Aug. 28. Courtesy of CJ CGV
By Baek Byung-yeul
As Korea's cinemas work to rebound from a sharp decline in attendance caused by the pandemic and the rise of streaming services, movie theater chains like CJ CGV and Lotte Cinema are diversifying their offerings beyond traditional movie screenings to include music concerts, sporting events, and role-playing experiences.
Until 2019, the film industry was thriving and expected to keep growing, drawing over 200 million visitors to theaters each year.
However, the number of moviegoers has dropped drastically over the years, with the advent of streaming platforms like YouTube and Netflix allowing people to watch desired videos comfortably anywhere, and more crucially due to the COVID-19 pandemic preventing people from going out.
Korea’s total cinema attendance, which reached 226 million in 2019, plummeted to 59 million in 2020 when the pandemic broke out, according to data from the Korean Film Council. The figures have gradually increased since, reaching 125 million in 2023. However, this still represents a shortfall of over 100 million compared to pre-pandemic numbers, prompting cinemas to consider new strategies to attract more audiences and survive.
Seen is Live Cinema, a role-playing event offered at Lotte Cinema's Hongdae branch, allowing visitors to return to their childhood, explore the neighborhood with friends and experience mysterious events. Courtesy of Lotte Cinema
In response, theater chains have adopted a strategy of content diversification. They are screening concert videos of famous singers on large screens, encouraging audiences to sing along while enjoying the high-definition screen and superior sound systems.
In addition to concerts, theaters are also livestreaming Korea Baseball Organization League games and other sports events, encouraging fans to enjoy the matches with snacks in the cool comfort of theaters during hot summer days.
CJ CGV is currently screening a concert film featuring K-pop girl group BLACKPINK's tour titled "BORN PINK," with footage shot in Seoul last year. To commemorate the theater screening, the girl group held a pink carpet event in Seoul, attracting much attention.
Beyond K-pop girl groups, a concert film of popular trot singer Lim Young-woong will hit the big screen on Aug. 28. The 33-year-old singer rose to stardom in 2020 when he won TV Chosun's "Mr. Trot" singing competition show and has since become one of the most influential entertainers in Korea.
With his name Young-woong meaning "hero" in English, his concert is aptly titled "IM HERO." The concert footage captured Lim’s Seoul World Cup Stadium concert in May, which gathered a whopping 100,000 spectators.
Megabox is also screening concert films in theaters. This theater chain launched the Megabox Classic Society brand 10 years ago, screening classical music concerts held worldwide such as "The Met: Live in HD."
Interactive experiences
Theater chains are not just focusing on drawing in crowds with these diverse offerings but are also redefining their spaces as cultural venues where various forms of entertainment can be enjoyed, believing that as the number of visitors increases, movie content will naturally be exposed to more audiences as well.
Lotte Cinema recently launched a service called Live Cinema at its branch in the bustling Hongdae neighborhood, aiming to allow audiences to enjoy role-playing events inside the theater.
Participants, in a group of three to five people, can perform various missions solving mysterious cases with actors for about two hours.
"We are not only theater operators but also space providers. We designed this program to allow visitors to have various experiences using the space," a spokesperson of Lotte Cinema said. "We tried to give customers an experience more cinematic than movies and the response to this content has been good since its launch in June."
Seen is "Mission, Break," an escape game offered at CJ CGV's IPARK Mall theater in Yongsan, Seoul. Courtesy of CJ CGV
CJ CGV is also providing an escape room game called "Mission, Break" at its IPARK Mall branch in Yongsan, Seoul, offering diverse experiences in the cinema. Additionally, the theater chain has turned one of its theaters in Songpa District, southeastern Seoul, into a golf practice course, making innovative use of the large space.
"After the pandemic, theaters have faced a serious decline in visitor numbers. Also, as many people use video streaming platforms, the frequency of people visiting theaters is decreasing gradually. To overcome this, the industry is trying to make visitors return to theaters by providing alternative content," an official from the local theater industry told The Korea Times on condition of anonymity.