A recent survey conducted by civic organizations in South Korea found that two-thirds of cinema-goers are cutting back on their movie outings because of high ticket prices. The survey, which sampled 638 respondents from August to December last year, indicated that an overwhelming 95.6% felt that movie ticket prices were expensive, with 67.7% citing cost as the primary reason for visiting the cinema less often. This decline in cinema attendance is attributed to significant price hikes that followed the COVID-19 pandemic, with weekend tickets approaching 15,000 KRW without discounts, pushing audiences towards streaming services instead.

The survey sheds light on the precarious state of the South Korean film industry, which is reflecting a broader trend of diminished cinema attendance post-pandemic. In 2019, the number of moviegoers was around 220 million, but that number plummeted to just over 100 million last year, according to the results. Respondents indicated that they believe a reasonable ticket price should be in the range of 9,000 to 10,000 KRW, suggesting a price reduction of about 4,000 to 5,000 KRW may be necessary to encourage more frequent cinema visits.

Advocacy groups are urging cinemas to reconsider their pricing structures, arguing that the current discounts orchestrated through telecommunications companies distort the market. They highlight that while theaters provide discounted tickets to telecom partners at about 7,000 KRW, the end-users still pay inflated prices of 9,000 to 13,000 KRW, creating a profit margin that does not benefit the general audience. The organizations claim that both theaters and telecom firms profit from this arrangement at the expense of consumers, further exacerbating the deterrent regarding cinema attendance. This situation underscores the need for a reevaluation of pricing strategies in the face of declining audience engagement.