Despite the entry of a major new local film, the exhibition market contracted yet again as Korea grapples with its most serious spike in COVID cases to date, as daily infections rose over 1,000 during the weekend. Weekend admissions were down to 147,000, with 71% of tickets being sold to domestic products. Arthouse director KIM Jong-kwan made his long-long-awaited commercial film debut with Josée,...

Attendance Craters as Infections Cases around the Capital Rise Theaters continue to empty out as Seoul and its surrounding areas experienced their worst rise in COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. After weeks of hefty drops, the Korean box office slid another 40% week-on-week, with weekend viewership down to just 175,000 admissions. This remains higher than the least well-attended...

It was a very quiet weekend at the box office as Korea edged up last Thursday into its second highest peak of daily new COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began. Business slowed 40% week-on-week with just 277,000 tickets sold over the Friday to Sunday period. Meanwhile, local content continued to enjoy an advantage as Korean films clinched 69% of all sales. The 80s-set political/surveillance comedy...