Into the History of the 'Chungmuro Era'... Daehan Theater Closes After 66 Years

Closing Operations on the 30th Due to Deficit
Converted into a Cultural Arts Performance Venue

The scene of Daehan Theater in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 29th.
Photo by Yonhap News

The Seoul Daehan Theater, a symbol of Korean cinema and the pioneer of the 'Chungmuro era,' closed its doors on the 30th.

Segi Sangsa, the operator of Daehan Theater, announced through the electronic disclosure system at the end of April that the theater would cease operations on September 30. It had been open for 66 years since its establishment in 1958.

Daehan Theater was the first theater in Korea to screen 70mm wide film on a giant screen, showing Hollywood films such as "Ben-Hur," "Gone with the Wind," and "The Sound of Music." It was also the venue where director Park Chan-wook's "Oldboy" was first premiered.

However, with the emergence of large multiplex theaters, many theaters that dominated the Chungmuro era have closed one after another. Dansungsa and Myeongbo Theater closed in 2008, Seoul Theater in 2021, and Piccadilly handed over its operating rights to CJ CGV in 2015. Daehan Theater maintained the Chungmuro film street by expanding to 11 screening rooms in 2001 but closed after sustaining losses for over a decade. As a result, it has become difficult to find single-screen theaters continuing the tradition of standalone cinemas in Seoul.

The Starbucks located on the first floor of Daehan Theater will also close due to contract termination. Segi Sangsa plans to renovate the Daehan Theater building into a cultural and artistic performance venue and reopen it in April next year.

A truck loaded with demolition debris is parked in front of Daehan Theater in Jung-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]