Due to COVID-19, Seoul citizens' 'leisure time' increased, but cultural and arts attendance frequency and expenses decreased by 40%

Average Annual Art and Culture Viewing Frequency 4 Times and Cost 74,000 KRW Last Year... Decrease of 2.6 Times and 46,000 KRW Compared to 2018
In the COVID Era, Cultural and Artistic Viewing Declines Despite Increased Leisure Time

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Last year, the average daily leisure time of Seoul citizens increased by 0.4 hours on weekdays and 0.5 hours on weekends compared to 2018. However, the annual average number of cultural and artistic event attendances and expenses decreased by 2.6 times and 46,000 KRW respectively. Notably, 40% of Seoul citizens watched content online due to COVID-19, but online content did not fully replace offline experiences.

On the 24th, the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture announced the results of the "2020 Seoul Citizens' Cultural Enjoyment Survey," which analyzed the impact of COVID-19 on culture and arts. The survey was conducted from January 11 to February 10 this year, with 6,413 respondents including 5,000 residents of Seoul and 1,413 members of the Seoul city website and Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture website.

The survey covered six areas: leisure activity status, cultural and artistic viewing experience and satisfaction, cultural and artistic participation experience and satisfaction, COVID-19 and cultural and artistic activities, cultural and artistic activity experience and perception, and satisfaction with the cultural environment.

The results showed that the average daily leisure time of Seoul citizens was 3.6 hours on weekdays and 6.5 hours on weekends, an increase of 0.4 hours and 0.5 hours respectively compared to 2018. The increase in leisure time is attributed to reduced commuting time due to telecommuting and reduced group activities caused by COVID-19.

However, despite the increase in leisure time, citizens’ cultural and artistic attendance averaged 4.2 times with expenses of 74,000 KRW. This represents a decrease of 2.6 times and 46,000 KRW compared to 2018, about a 40% reduction. The decline was especially significant in genres with large audiences such as movies and festivals, likely due to event cancellations and concerns about infection spread in crowded places. Attendance and expenses were notably lower among those aged 60 and above compared to other age groups.

Number of Visits and Total Viewing Costs by Age Group

The reduced cultural and artistic experiences also affected satisfaction and happiness levels. Among culturally interested groups, satisfaction with cultural and artistic activities (26.6%) and happiness levels (6.4 points) decreased by 10.8% and 0.4 points respectively compared to 2018 before COVID-19. Those dissatisfied with cultural and artistic viewing activities in the past year cited "restrictions due to COVID-19" as the main cause of dissatisfaction.

Although online cultural and artistic programs increased due to COVID-19, 70% of respondents said there were differences between online and offline experiences. Among those who attended offline events 10 times or more, 75.2% reported differences; for 2 to 9 times, 72.3%; and for fewer than 2 times, 64.1%. More than 7 out of 10 people judged that online experiences are difficult to fully replace offline ones.

Nearly 73% of citizens felt frustrated by not being able to visit cultural facilities due to COVID-19 prevention measures, and many respondents said this led to a renewed appreciation of the value of cultural activities. The survey showed that respondents felt "frustrated by not being able to visit cultural facilities" (72.8%), "realized the importance of cultural activities to me" (69.5%), and "recognized the value and advantages of activities held at cultural facilities" (69.3%).

Nevertheless, half of those who experienced online alternative cultural viewing were satisfied with the experience, and 64% of surveyed citizens expressed positive intentions to participate in online alternative cultural viewing activities in the future. When asked about experiences watching content replaced online due to COVID-19, 39.7% of citizens responded that they had such experience. Experience rates were especially high in the severely affected performance fields such as popular music (16.3%), music (13.7%), and theater (10.8%).

Due to social distancing measures to prevent infectious diseases, participation in cultural and artistic hobbies and education through online platforms also stood out. Particularly, about 39% of people in their 30s reported participating in various cultural and artistic activities online, showing that this age group enjoys culture most actively through online means.

The media used for online alternative cultural viewing was found to be "major online channels." For those who had not experienced offline cultural viewing, "TV-based channels such as IPTV" were relatively higher. Those who had experienced offline cultural viewing answered that they used the "official websites and SNS of the hosting organizations." It appears necessary to expand cultural viewing through institutional promotional channels along with IPTV.

Meanwhile, seniors aged 60 and above showed relatively high willingness to participate in online alternative viewing in the future, but their actual viewing rates were the lowest. The gap between willingness and actual viewing rates was the largest among all age groups, indicating an urgent need to find ways to reduce this gap.

Yoo Yeon-sik, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Culture Headquarters (Acting CEO of the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture), said, "Although online has limitations in fully replacing offline cultural and artistic experiences, considering the prolonged COVID-19 situation, it is necessary to seek mid- to long-term alternatives. Developing cultural and artistic programs for seniors and high-quality online programs will greatly help in establishing Seoul’s cultural and artistic policies."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.