Like an Empty House Inside the Theater... Some Audience Members Show Serious Bad Manners
Talking with Companions or Using Mobile Phones
On the 4th, at a movie theater located in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), most of the seats are empty. Photo by Kay Kim katekim221@asiae.co.kr
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] # Office worker A, who works in the film industry, recently visited a movie theater and had an unpleasant experience. Audience members in the same screening room were making loud noises, disturbing the viewing. A said, "I complained to the couple sitting in the row in front of me, asking them to lower their voices a bit, but it was of no use," adding, "I went to the theater for work, but I couldn't concentrate and was stressed for two hours straight."
As the COVID-19 pandemic has prolonged, the number of visitors to movie theaters has sharply declined. Due to the government's strong recommendations for social distancing, citizens are refraining from using crowded facilities with a high risk of infection.
In the case of theaters, concerns about mass infections are high because people have to sit close together in enclosed spaces, and it is difficult to disinfect the screening rooms after every screening.
As a result, recently, most screenings have only a few sparse viewers in otherwise empty theaters.
The problem lies in some viewers' 'Gwan-keu' behavior. 'Gwan-keu' is a portmanteau of 'gwan-gyeok' (audience) and 'critical,' meaning actions that disturb other people's viewing experience.
Examples of Gwan-keu include ▲ making noise while chatting with companions ▲ using a phone during the screening, known as 'phone fireflies' ▲ moving to seats other than the ones reserved, called 'grasshopper tribe' ▲ taking certification photos during the screening. These are all considered rude behaviors that affect others' viewing.
According to the Integrated Ticketing System of the Korean Film Council on the 12th, the daily number of moviegoers on the 6th was 15,725. From that day until the 10th, the daily total number of viewers remained in the 10,000 range for five consecutive days. The weekend was no different. On Saturday the 11th, the total number of viewers was recorded at 40,170.
Typically, March and April are considered off-seasons for domestic theaters. However, due to the impact of COVID-19 this year, theaters are recording less than half the daily audience numbers compared to last year. In the first and second weeks of April last year, weekday audiences were in the 100,000 to 200,000 range, and weekend audiences were also maintained at 400,000 to 500,000.
On the 4th, at a movie theater located in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), all audience members are being instructed to fill out a user list before entering. Photo by Kay Kim katekim221@asiae.co.kr
Movie theaters are making efforts to attract audiences through various special screenings and re-releases, while implementing 'seat distancing' since last month to prevent COVID-19. CGV and Megabox are blocking odd or even rows of seats to ensure viewers sit with empty seats in front and behind. Lotte Cinema and CineQ are restricting seat selection to maintain distance from already reserved seats.
Additionally, some screening rooms are reportedly asking visitors to provide basic information such as name and contact details upon entry as a precaution.
Among these, some viewers complain that "Gwan-keu is even more rampant because there are fewer people." It is also known that disputes between complaining viewers sometimes escalate into fights.
Office worker B (31) said, "I have often experienced Gwan-keu, but it seems to have gotten worse recently," adding, "I recently saw viewers raising their voices at each other in the theater."
B said, "One person was using their phone throughout the screening. Even though they were sitting far from me, the bright phone screen was distracting. Eventually, someone nearby spoke up, and it escalated into a fight," adding, "Since there is no one around to be mindful of, people seem to think rude behavior is acceptable. It's really shameless."
A theater official stated that it is difficult to take forced action unless the behavior is illegal. The official explained, "We can warn about noise or phone use, but we cannot enforce it. However, filming parts of the movie is a copyright violation, so we delete such footage as soon as it is identified."
Meanwhile, health authorities repeatedly urged participation in social distancing. On the 11th, Yoon Tae-ho, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters' quarantine team, emphasized at a COVID-19 briefing held at the Government Complex Sejong, "We must not be swayed by the decrease in new confirmed cases or let our guard down."
Yoon said, "Especially in the metropolitan area, cases continue to occur steadily, so there is always a possibility of mass infections in densely populated communities and group facilities," adding, "Please actively participate in social distancing this weekend to prevent large-scale infections at popular flower viewing spots, election campaign venues, and Easter religious events."
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