Excellent Cases of Local Government Administrative Innovation... Hampyeong Drive-in Theater Surpasses 10,000 Vehicles Cumulative

Screening a Total of 45 Films Over 8 Months... Contributing to Local Economic Revitalization

Lee Sang-ik, Hampyeong County Governor, and the family of the 10,000th visitor are taking a commemorative photo. Photo by Hampyeong County

[Hampyeong=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] Since opening in January, Hampyeong Drive-in Theater has attracted attention as a safe social distancing cultural facility, surpassing a cumulative total of 10,000 viewing vehicles in just over eight months.

On the 7th, Hampyeong-gun, Jeollanam-do announced that the cumulative number of vehicles that visited Hampyeong Drive-in Theater, equipped with the nation's best facilities, has exceeded 10,000.

Analyzing the number of vehicles entering Hampyeong Drive-in Theater, as of the 5th, a total of 10,155 vehicles have visited, and based on an average of 2.5 people per vehicle, the total number of viewers is estimated to be over 25,000.

It is also analyzed that the theater has contributed to the increase in sales of restaurants and cafes in the town, thereby positively impacting the revitalization of the local economy.

The 10,000th viewer was the family of Kim Myungjung (38, Mokpo), who came to watch the screening of "The Boss Baby" at 6:50 PM on the 4th. County Governor Lee Sangik personally congratulated them on-site and took commemorative photos together.

Mr. Kim said, "Since it is the closest drive-in theater from Mokpo and allows my wife and three children, five people in total, to watch movies in a relaxed atmosphere, we often visit Hampyeong Drive-in Theater. Thank you for creating such good memories."

Opened last January in the Hwangso Parking Lot area of Expo Park, Hampyeong Drive-in Theater has screened a total of 45 films in just over eight months and is being utilized as an excellent case of administrative innovation by local governments.

It is highly praised for simultaneously generating direct revenue from movie ticket sales and revitalizing the town's local economy, as well as providing cultural welfare experiences to residents with limited access to cultural enjoyment.

Additionally, the multi-purpose use of the Hwangso Parking Lot at Expo Park as a parking lot, cinema, and contactless event venue demonstrates spatial efficiency, while promoting Hampyeong’s tourism resources and key policies to moviegoers, yielding various positive effects.

In particular, after learning about the excellent operation of Hampyeong Drive-in Theater, inquiries for benchmarking have been flooding in from local governments nationwide. Visitors from Mokpo came on the 24th of last month, and a visit from Inje, Gangwon-do is scheduled for the 9th.

A county official said, "With social distancing becoming essential due to COVID-19 and the successive release of major Korean films, more viewers than ever are coming to Hampyeong Drive-in Theater. We will continue to strive to attract more visitors through various events and high-quality services."

Meanwhile, Hampyeong Drive-in Theater is equipped with two screening halls (Nabi Hall and Hwanggeumbakjwi Hall) and a concession stand, and screenings are available daily (closed every Monday) from 7:25 PM to midnight.

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