COVID-19 Spread Leads to Theater Attendance Remaining in the 70,000s for Two Consecutive Days

On the 3rd, as concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus infection grow, a movie theater in Gangnam-gu, Seoul is quieter than usual. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jonggil Lee] The number of moviegoers visiting theaters failed to exceed 100,000 for the second consecutive day. This is due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

According to the Korea Film Council's integrated ticketing system on the 26th, 75,963 people visited theaters on the 25th. This is a decrease of 1,108 from the previous day (24th), which had 77,071 visitors. It is the lowest attendance since May 31, 2004, when 67,973 people attended.

Only three films attracted more than 10,000 viewers: Jipuragi-rado Japgo Sipeun Jimseungdeul (The Beast Who Wants to Grab Even a Straw) with 21,206 viewers, 1917 with 18,606 viewers, and Jeongjikhan Hupo (Honest Candidate) with 14,998 viewers. All had seat occupancy rates below 4%. The situation is similar for other films. Among movies securing over 1,000 seats, only Keullojet (The Closet) surpassed a 5% occupancy rate, at 5.5%.

The slump is expected to continue for some time. Recently, as COVID-19 cases surged, visits to movie theaters sharply declined. Even new releases are postponing their premieres one after another, making it difficult to create a clear turning point.