Government Distributes 1.33 Million Movie Theater '6000 Won Discount Vouchers'

Film Industry's COVID-19 Impact Recovery Effort... Likely Applied for at Least 3 Weeks on Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun
CGV Takes the Most with 640,773 Tickets... 66,650 Tickets Distributed to Small and Medium Cinemas

On the 24th, when the movie 'Avengers: Endgame' was released, citizens were moving to watch the film at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul. According to the Korea Film Council's integrated computer network statistics, as of 8 a.m. that day, the movie's reservation rate reached 97.0%, and the number of reserved viewers surpassed 2,260,712. Attention is focused on how far the success of 'Avengers: Endgame,' which exceeded 2 million reserved viewers, will continue. / Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

The Korean Film Council is gearing up to distribute 1.33 million movie theater '6,000 won discount coupons'.

On the 6th, the Korean Film Council revealed detailed plans for the 'Emergency Support Measures for the Film Industry Damage' announced on the 21st of last month. According to the plan, up to 1,333,000 coupons worth 7.998 billion won will be issued. CGV, operating 168 branches, will receive the largest share with 640,773 coupons worth 3.844638 billion won. Lotte Cinema, with 130 locations, will get 377,372 coupons worth 2.264323 billion won, and Megabox, with 102 locations, will receive 240,607 coupons worth 1.443642 billion won. CineQ, which owns five locations, will get 7,598 coupons worth 45.588 million won.

The remaining 66,650 coupons worth 399 million won will be evenly distributed among small and medium-sized theaters. The Korean Film Council explained, "5% of the total coupon amount will be allocated first to small and medium-sized theaters, and the remaining 95% (including multiplex theaters) will be distributed to major theaters based on last year's box office ticket sales proportions." Last year's ticket sales revenue was 49.5% for CGV, 29.1% for Lotte Cinema, 18.6% for Megabox, and 0.6% for CineQ. These companies accounted for 97.8% of the total revenue.

Visitors are purchasing tickets at the CGV Yongsan branch in Seoul on the 5th, where the movie 'Avengers: Endgame' surpassed 10 million viewers. 'Avengers: Endgame' became the fastest movie in domestic box office history to reach 10 million viewers, recording a cumulative audience of 10,001,650 as of 7:30 PM on the 4th, just 11 days after its release. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

The purpose of issuing these discount coupons is twofold: to overcome the damage to the film industry caused by the spread of COVID-19 and to stimulate domestic consumption through the promotion of cultural and leisure activities for the public. The Korean Film Council stated, "The decrease in movie theater audiences causes a chain reaction of damage not only to theaters but also to production companies, distributors, and creators. It is necessary to encourage attendance to normalize the industry environment." An increase in audiences can also benefit nearby commercial districts. According to a 2018 survey, two moviegoers visiting together spent more than 40,000 won at nearby restaurants and shops.

The Korean Film Council will designate joint event periods with theaters nationwide to provide the discount coupons. The recipients are likely to be members of each theater. The coupons will be limited in quantity and usable only on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays (excluding Culture Day) for at least three weeks. The Council said, "We are discussing issuing coupons on a first-come, first-served basis through weekly giveaway events." They also mentioned, "To increase coupon usage rates, we are considering setting expiration dates for each issuance batch." Additionally, "We plan to establish an integrated coupon management system for theaters without their own ticketing systems."

The Korean Film Council will also support online and offline promotions to ensure many people benefit from the discount coupons. They are conducting a public contest for marketing and design firms to submit promotional plans, and selected companies will be responsible for planning marketing content as well as producing and distributing promotional materials and line advertisements. Furthermore, a nationwide campaign encouraging movie attendance will be conducted both online and offline during the discount event period.