According to CGV’s breakdown of the price of a movie ticket, the cinema operator takes home 45 percent of the ticket price, with the distributor taking home 55 percent.
Though raising the ticket price does not benefit only the cinema operator, small- and mid-sized arts film distributors said they have actually not benefited from the price hikes at all.
“To be honest, whether to increase the ticket price depends solely on the decision of cinema operators. (Higher prices for movie tickets) do not mean that the distributors get more profit,” another official from a different local distributor told The Korea Herald.
“Because we distribute movies focused on art and indie films, when ticket prices were lower, more moviegoers would choose our movies. I feel like the increases in movie ticket prices have raised the entry barrier to enjoying a more diverse range of films,” he added.
Some people point to available movies’ quality as also having an impact on the number of moviegoers.
“Because movie theaters are still struggling after the pandemic disruptions – with ticket sales still at 60 percent of pre-pandemic levels – I can see why they wanted to raise ticket prices suddenly. Still, the fallen number of moviegoers doesn’t really have to do with ticket prices, but rather with the quality of the movies playing at the cinema,” film critic Kim Hern-sik said in an interview.
“When you think of options for cultural activities, the ticket prices for movies are definitely not as much compared to musicals or plays. I think it’s more about the absolute value of what watching a movie means to the audience,” Kim said.
How much are movie tickets elsewhere?
According to data on Numbeo, the world’s largest database on the cost of living, South Korea’s movie tickets are currently priced at 15,000 won ($11.25), ranking 27th among the 96 countries surveyed.
Topping the list was Switzerland ($23.15), followed by Denmark ($17.76) and Finland ($16.56). Movie ticket prices in the US and Japan were $14 and $12.31, respectively.
However, compared to the actual standard of living in South Korea based on GDP, movie tickets here actually cost double those in the US.
Meanwhile, the country’s largest multiplex chain, CGV, has slashed movie ticket prices by more than 50 percent for four days this week, starting Tuesday.
During what it is calling “Culture Week,” CGV is selling tickets for 7,000 won each for films screenings between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. at 2D theaters Monday through Thursday.
“We decided to extend ‘Culture Day,’ which we already have, to reinvigorate sluggish local theaters, despite it being the peak summer season, after negotiating with production firms and distributors,” said a CGV official. “Culture Day” falls on the last Wednesday of each month and is when many cultural institutions in Korea offer discounted or free admission.
While some industry insiders saw this four-day discount as a kind of formality, the country’s association of movie industry members welcomed the move.
“We welcome the decision of CGV and highly appreciate its move to prepare a breakthrough to reinvigorate the local film industry,” said a statement from the association issued Tuesday.
Written by Kim Da-sol
