Police Notify Prosecutors of Supplementary Investigation Results in 'Box Office Ranking Manipulation' Case

Multiplexes and distribution company officials accused of manipulating audience numbers to boost box office rankings have been referred back to the prosecution.

Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Mapo Office / Photo by Taewon Choi skking@

On the 15th, the Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced that it had notified the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office of the supplementary investigation results regarding 69 officials from three domestic theaters and distribution companies suspected of obstruction of business the previous day.

They are accused of manipulating ticketing information by purchasing large quantities of late-night movie tickets despite having no actual audience, in order to raise box office rankings from 2018 until June of this year.

The police transferred the case to the prosecution on the 14th of last month, but the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office requested supplementary investigation to organize the list of investigation targets and sent the case back to the police.

The police conducted the supplementary investigation but reportedly did not find any additional charges. A police official stated, "We cannot disclose specific details of the supplementary investigation."