— Overview
In 2020, the outbreak of COVID-19, the essay says, dealt a destructive blow to the global film industry. France and India took extreme steps — full theater closures and a halt to production — and Korea was no exception. Large multiplex chains such as CGV saw major cuts in operations. Many films skipped a theatrical opening and went straight to OTT and VOD. During the pandemic, frequent changes in quarantine and business rules — spaced seating, limits on hall capacity, shorter hours — became ordinary and cut revenue directly.
Theaters were treated as facilities vulnerable to infection, so openings were postponed and halls often had little to show. At the same time, services such as Netflix and Disney+ grew quickly, and many people preferred to watch at home. The essay traces Korean film, from 1999, in five stretches: a growth period from 1999 to the mid-2000s, when multiplexes such as CGV Gangbyeon multiplied theaters and audiences, even as large-firm control of distribution raised new problems; a slump from the mid-2000s to the early 2010s; a recovery in the early-to-mid 2010s, when the Korean-film share was pushed back toward the 50 percent range; a stall classified as running from 2015; and then, in January 2020, the unexpected blow of COVID-19.
In 2020, Korean theater revenue fell 73.3 percent from the year before. From 2017 through 2019, the essay says, theaters had been growing: audiences, box-office takings, and visits per person had been rising. Per-person visits fell from 4.25 in 2017 to 1.15 in 2020. In 2020 and 2021 the traditional theater share of the market dropped to about 30 percent, while the OTT share jumped to about 60 percent; those shares stay with that period.
From 2021, audience and screen counts began to recover, and in 2022, after social-distancing rules were fully lifted, theater revenue rose again. Closures, jumped to 17 theaters in 2020, then 11 in 2021, 6 in 2022, and another 6 in 2023. It places a then-current count at 573 operating theaters and 3,371 screens, up 2.1 percent and 1.5 percent from the year before, and a slight fall in seats to 463,935 as the three multiplexes converted ordinary halls into special ones.
In 2023, eight theaters were suspended and six closed, a more stable stretch; independent art-house theaters numbered 69 that year, concentrated in large cities, while some small regional halls were normalized through direct local-government operation or new contracted operators. For 2022 it places total theater revenue at 1.1602 trillion won, up 98.5 percent from the year before, and audiences at 112.81 million, up 86.4 percent.
Korean films that year took 631 billion won, up 263.9 percent, and 62.79 million admissions, up 244.7 percent, for an audience share of 55.7 percent, as large Korean titles delayed by the pandemic opened; foreign films took 529.2 billion won, up 28.7 percent, and 50.01 million admissions, up 18.2 percent. Even so, 2022 revenue and audiences were still 39.4 percent and 50.2 percent below 2019, and visits per person in 2022 were 2.19, about half the pre-pandemic level.
Those figures stay in 2022 and 2019. Theaters, the essay says, ran release programs and incentives for smaller distributors’ new titles without government support, and some switched between direct and contracted operation; it also notes that active public support was thin. Distribution itself shifted: Space Sweepers (Seungniho) opened on Netflix instead of in theaters; Yacha, planned for theaters, turned toward OTT; Moral Sense was designed from the start as an OTT original.
Cinema, it still argues, can offer a meaningful experience, and needs new ways to draw audiences and services that stand apart from OTT.
— Contents and key concepts
In 2020, a 73.3 percent drop, and a share that slipped toward OTT
In 2020 COVID-19 hit the global film industry hard. France and India closed theaters and halted production, and Korea was no exception. Multiplexes such as CGV cut operations. Many films skipped the theater and went straight to OTT. Spaced seating, capacity limits, and shorter hours became ordinary. From 1999 the essay traces growth, a slump, a recovery that pushed the Korean-film share back toward 50 percent, a stall from 2015, and then the January 2020 blow.
From 2017 through 2019, theaters had been growing. In 2020, revenue fell 73.3 percent, and visits per person fell from 4.25 in 2017 to 1.15. In 2020 and 2021 the theater share dropped to about 30 percent, and the OTT share rose to about 60 percent. Those shares stay with that period.
A 2022 rebound still below 2019, and titles that left the theater
From 2021, audiences and screens began to recover, and in 2022, after social distancing was fully lifted, revenue rose again. 2022 revenue at 1.1602 trillion won and audiences at 112.81 million, still 39.4 percent and 50.2 percent below 2019, with 2.19 visits per person. Closures ran from 17 theaters in 2020 to six in 2023, and a then-current count of 573 theaters and 3,371 screens is left in that stretch.
Theaters ran their own release programs for smaller distributors, and some changed how they were run. Space Sweepers opened on Netflix instead of in theaters; Yacha turned toward OTT; Moral Sense was designed as an OTT original. Cinema, the essay still says, can offer a meaningful experience if it finds services that stand apart. The same Korean report, at fuller length, is on CampusDown.
Sources
- In 2020 the COVID-19 outbreak dealt a destructive blow to the global film industry. France and India: full theater closures and a halt to production; Korea no exception. Large multiplex chains such as CGV saw major operational cuts. Many films skipped theatrical opening and went straight to OTT and VOD. Frequent changes in quarantine and business rules: spaced seating, hall-capacity limits, shorter hours, cutting revenue directly. Theaters treated as infection-vulnerable facilities; openings postponed; halls often had little to show. Netflix and Disney+ grew quickly; many preferred to watch at home. Korean film from 1999 in five stretches: growth, 1999 to mid-2000s, multiplexes such as CGV Gangbyeon, more theaters and audiences, but large-firm control of distribution raised new problems; slump, mid-2000s to early 2010s; recovery, early-to-mid 2010s, Korean-film share pushed back toward the 50% range; stall classified from 2015; then January 2020, the unexpected COVID-19 blow. In 2020 Korean theater revenue fell 73.3% from the year before. From 2017 through 2019 theaters had been growing: audiences, box-office takings, and visits per person rising. Per-person visits fell from 4.25 in 2017 to 1.15 in 2020. In 2020 and 2021 the traditional theater share dropped to about 30%, the OTT share jumped to about 60%; those shares stay with that period. From 2021 audience and screen counts began to recover; in 2022, after social-distancing rules were fully lifted, theater revenue rose again. Closures: 17 theaters in 2020, 11 in 2021, 6 in 2022, another 6 in 2023. Then-current count: 573 operating theaters and 3,371 screens, up 2.1% and 1.5% from the year before; seats slightly down to 463,935 as the three multiplexes converted ordinary halls into special ones. In 2023, eight theaters suspended and six closed, a more stable stretch; independent art-house theaters numbered 69 that year, concentrated in large cities; some small regional halls normalized through direct local-government operation or new contracted operators. For 2022: total theater revenue 1.1602 trillion won, up 98.5% from the year before; audiences 112.81 million, up 86.4%. Korean films: 631 billion won, up 263.9%; 62.79 million admissions, up 244.7%; audience share 55.7%, as large Korean titles delayed by the pandemic opened. Foreign films: 529.2 billion won, up 28.7%; 50.01 million admissions, up 18.2%. Even so, 2022 revenue and audiences were still 39.4% and 50.2% below 2019; visits per person in 2022 were 2.19, about half the pre-pandemic level. Figures stay in 2022 and 2019. Theaters ran release programs and incentives for smaller distributors’ new titles without government support; some switched between direct and contracted operation; active public support was thin. Space Sweepers (Seungniho) opened on Netflix instead of in theaters; Yacha, planned for theaters, turned toward OTT; Moral Sense was designed from the start as an OTT original. Cinema can still offer a meaningful experience and needs new ways to draw audiences and services that stand apart from OTT.
Last updated: 14 November 2026
Frequently asked questions
How far did Korean theater revenue fall in 2020?
a 73.3 percent drop from the year before, and per-person visits falling from 4.25 in 2017 to 1.15 in 2020.
What shares are given for theaters and OTT in 2020 and 2021?
The traditional theater share at about 30 percent, and the OTT share at about 60 percent, left in that period.
Where does 2022 still stand against 2019?
Revenue and audiences in 2022 were still 39.4 percent and 50.2 percent below 2019, even after a rebound, and visits per person were 2.19.
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