Private gathering limit increased to a maximum of ten people... Business hours extended to midnight
Cinemas "Expect 25% increase in audience" Performing arts "More room to attract viewers"
Temporary suspension of consumer coupons likely to resume... Anticipation for domestic mid-to-large scale film releases
On the 13th, supported by smooth COVID-19 vaccination and the summer peak season, students are purchasing tickets to watch movies at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul, where the number of movie theater audiences is increasing. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@
A ray of hope shines on cultural facilities hit hard by COVID-19. Starting from the 18th, the limit on private gatherings will increase to a maximum of eight people in the metropolitan area and ten people in non-metropolitan areas. The operating hours of movie theaters and performance venues will also be extended from the previous 10 PM to midnight.
Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum stated at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting on the 15th, "From next week, in level 4 areas (metropolitan area), gatherings of up to eight people, including four fully vaccinated individuals, will be allowed regardless of the time around 6 PM," adding, "In level 3 areas, two additional fully vaccinated people will be permitted, allowing gatherings of up to ten people." The government decided to apply the personnel limits, which had so far only applied to restaurants and cafes, uniformly to all multi-use facilities starting next week. Restrictions on operating hours will also be eased for multi-use facilities with relatively lower risk.
Movie theaters and performance venues included in the target group are welcoming the changes. Especially, being allowed to operate until midnight is seen as a breath of fresh air for their operations. Under the previous level 4 social distancing, operations were limited to 10 PM. For movie theaters, the last screening had started at 7:30 PM. They had to forgo screenings during the peak hours of 8 to 9 PM on weekdays, which resulted in unavoidable revenue losses. Even during the peak season of July and August, the number of viewers was only 14,886,527. In the same period in 2019, the number of viewers was more than three times higher at 46,702,586.
Hwang Jae-hyun, head of PR at CGV, said, "An environment has been created where office workers can watch movies at their leisure after work," and added, "The number of viewers is expected to increase by about 25%." He also said, "By screening movies once more during the evening hours, the range of choices for viewers will expand." Song Ha-gil, head of PR at Lotte Cinema, also expressed expectations that "flexible operations will be possible, and the number of viewers could increase by more than 20%." Each is setting a vision suitable for 'With COVID-19' and is making every effort to restore the pre-COVID-19 atmosphere.
The simplification of the previously complicated private gathering criteria is also a positive development. Until now, family viewers had to provide proof such as a family relationship certificate, which was inconvenient. Groups of three or more friends could not gather, effectively losing the function of group viewing. Hwang said, "Although seat spacing remains, sufficient turning points can be made with visits from weekend family viewers."
The use of consumption coupons, which had been temporarily suspended, may also resume. Lee Eok-won, the first vice minister of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, said at the Innovation Growth Strategy Review Meeting and Policy Review Meeting on the same day, "We will closely consult with the quarantine authorities to ensure that 'With COVID-19' leads to the recovery of the livelihood economy and vulnerable sectors, and consider resuming policies such as consumption coupons that have been suspended." The government had previously prepared 10 billion won worth of 6,000 won movie viewing discount coupons to help restore the movie ecosystem. Tae Eun-jung, head of PR at the Korean Film Council, said, "A meeting to decide the application timing will likely be held soon."
With the improved environment, the number of movies shown on screens is expected to increase. The burden of recovering production costs will decrease, allowing domestic mid-to-large scale films to be released consecutively during the winter peak season (December to January). A distribution company official, Mr. A, said, "With the release of 'Eternals' next month and 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' in December, movie theaters can recover the previous atmosphere," adding, "This will serve as an opportunity for domestic mid-to-large scale films to jump in." A production company representative, Mr. B, said, "Showbox plans to release 'Emergency Declaration,' which was unveiled at the Cannes International Film Festival last July, around January next year," and added, "Other distributors are also weighing the timing for releasing films of similar scale."
The performance industry also expects a similar recovery trend. Choi Go-woon, head of PR at Show Note, said, "Seat spacing will not have a significant impact on sales," but added, "Many performances that used to be held at 8 PM on weekdays were moved up to 7 PM, causing many to give up attending. This measure will allow viewers to visit performance venues more comfortably." Ahn Mi-hyun, head of PR at CJ ENM, also said, "Efficient operations have become possible, increasing the potential to attract viewers."
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