Premium Screens Drive South Korea’s Strongest Summer Cinema Attendance Since 2019

Dragon Media News Desk

South Korea’s cinema market has recorded a notable summer rebound, with approximately 9.55 million moviegoers visiting theaters between July 29 and August 9.

The figure represents the strongest comparable summer attendance since 2019 and an increase of about 45.6 percent from the same period last year.

Premium formats including IMAX and other special screens have played an important role in bringing audiences back. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” accounted for more than 80 percent of box-office revenue during the peak holiday period.

Occupancy rates for premium screens reportedly reached between 70 and 80 percent, while some viewers returned to watch the same film in different formats.

The revival, however, has created a more complicated picture for South Korean productions. Large international releases and premium-format demand have made it more difficult for some mid-budget local films to secure screens and attract audiences.

The trend suggests that theatrical attendance is recovering, but the benefits of that recovery remain uneven across the Korean film industry.