Beyond With to Together... The Cultural Sector Stretches Out

'With Corona' Film and Performance Industry Overcomes 2 Years of Darkness with Hope for Revival
Release of 'Eternals' and 'Encanto...' Expected to Benefit from Lifting of Time Restrictions
Concert Cancellation Losses Reach 180 Billion Won... Recovery Expected by Year-End and Normalization Early Next Year

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The cultural sector, which had been shrinking due to COVID-19, is stretching out as it transitions to 'With Corona.' Concerts and other events that had been suspended for a while are resuming, and audiences are being welcomed with a more relaxed approach. The plan is to induce a clear recovery by the end of the year and move closer to normalization in early next year.

▲ Movie Theaters and Performance Venues Breathe New Life

Movie theaters, which had been empty for the past two years, are filled with hope. The restrictions on operating hours that had been holding them back are being lifted. Vaccinated individuals can now sit together with their party and eat popcorn. Multiplexes such as CGV, Lotte Cinema, and Megabox have been adjusting the number of theaters designated exclusively for fully vaccinated customers since the 'With Corona' roadmap was announced on the 25th. Hwang Jaehyun, head of communications at CGV, said, "We will operate by separating screening rooms going forward," adding, "Except for already booked screens, we plan to designate exclusive theaters and notify customers." Regarding the proportion, he said, "It will be less than half," but added, "We will gradually increase it considering audience reactions and the social atmosphere." Guk Seongho, brand communications manager at Lotte Cultureworks, also said, "We plan to designate exclusive theaters as long as it does not burden each branch."

On the 11th, one day before the implementation of Level 4 social distancing in the Seoul metropolitan area, a movie theater in downtown Seoul is quiet. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

There are two main reasons why exclusive theaters cannot be fully supported immediately. First is the concern about discrimination against unvaccinated individuals. A multiplex branch manager A said, "If access to exclusive theaters is restricted for unvaccinated people, various problems may arise," and added, "Sufficient prior guidance from the government and multiplexes is necessary." Another multiplex branch manager B said, "Complaints may arise in exclusive theaters due to eating, mask removal, etc.," and "Considerable difficulties are expected until the system is established." Second is the difficulty in verifying vaccination status. Multiplexes have drastically reduced the number of staff due to a sharp drop in sales. If vaccination status is checked in addition to mask-wearing, electronic entry logs, and temperature checks, the entry time for audiences will inevitably increase. B said, "We have not yet received instructions from headquarters on how to verify vaccination," and "I am worried about staff overload." Multiplex official C said, "Time is needed to establish a vaccination verification system," and "For now, we ask customers to enter the screening rooms early."

Movie theaters expect audience numbers to increase simply by lifting operating hour restrictions. In fact, in 2019, CGV's audience share after 10 p.m. was 15% on weekdays and 20% on weekends. Lotte Cinema had a similar 20%. On the 18th, the operating hour restriction was extended from 10 p.m. to midnight. Hwang said, "The proportion of audiences after 8 p.m. increased to 17% during the week following the extension." The recovery trend could gain momentum with the release of anticipated films. Next month, Marvel Studios' action film "Eternals" (3rd) starring Ma Dong-seok and Disney's animation "Encanto: The Magical World" (24th) will hit the screens. Korean films such as "Gangneung" (10th), "Escape from Mogadishu" (24th), "Genre Only Romance" (TBA), "The Shaman Sorceress" (TBA), and "Romance Without Love" (TBA) are also lined up. From the 1st of next month, the government will provide 6,000 KRW discount coupons (2 per person per week, applicable to multiplexes) to 2.03 million people, allowing them to watch movies at a lower price. The applicable theaters include multiplexes, independent and art cinemas, small theaters, and individual single-screen theaters nationwide, totaling 521 locations.

On the 13th, thanks to smooth COVID-19 vaccination and the summer peak season, the number of movie theater audiences is increasing. Students are purchasing tickets to watch movies at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

Discount coupons will also be provided to audiences attending musicals, plays, classical music, dance, and traditional Korean music performances. Eight online ticketing platforms, including Interpark and Yes24, will offer 8,000 KRW discount coupons. A Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism official explained, "Regardless of in-person or online, each person can receive up to 32,000 KRW in discounts every two weeks (8,000 KRW discount coupons × 4 per person)." They added, "With the easing of operating hour restrictions and the possibility of opening all seats depending on the quarantine situation, high usage is expected." Musical industry insider D said, "On weekdays, the interval between office workers' leaving time and operating hour restrictions was too short, causing difficulties in running performances," and "Encore stages that were omitted will be revived, and audience participation programs will be introduced, enriching the content of performances." An Mihyun, team leader of Content Communication 1 at CJ ENM, also said, "Efficient operation is now possible, increasing the potential to attract audiences."

▲ Pop Singer Concerts Return

According to the Korea Music Label Industry Association, 1,094 concerts were canceled from February last year to June this year. The estimated damage amounts to about 184.4 billion KRW. An official said, "This figure only accounts for announced events," and "If concerts in preparation are included, the damage scale is much larger." Concert venues must comply with quarantine guidelines for their region, non-professional performance venues, and sports facilities. Even with the transition to 'With Corona,' they must wait for additional guidelines. Therefore, most have opened ticketing windows assuming social distancing will be lowered by one step. A representative example is "Street Woman Fighter: On The Stage," which will tour Seoul, Busan, Gwangju, Daegu, Changwon, and Incheon starting from the 20th of next month. The social distancing level must be lowered (in consultation with the relevant authorities) for performances with over 500 attendees to be possible. Cho Hongrae, head of Content Communication 2 at CJ ENM, said, "We have notified that seat operations may change fluidly without prior notice depending on on-site situations and quarantine guidelines." He added, "We have set a maximum of 2,000 seats per show by region, with Gwangju having the highest capacity at 3,500 seats."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

A government official said, "We plan to review the results of 'With Corona' next month and consider removing event attendance limits through a second revision in December." If restrictions are eased, concerts with tens of thousands of attendees can be held smoothly. The concerts scheduled for next month, such as "Street Woman Fighter: On The Stage," "Gummy National Tour Concert: Again, Winter Ballad," "Paul Kim National Tour Concert: Full of Scars," and "Noel Year-End Tour Concert: The Night Noel Fell," will serve as a test. C-JeS Entertainment, preparing for Gummy and Noel concerts, said, "All performers and staff have completed vaccination," and "We will strictly follow quarantine rules such as venue disinfection and mask-wearing to create an environment where everyone can enjoy safely." Entertainment industry insider E, representing companies with many K-pop groups, said, "We are preparing a safe space for artists and fans to interact," and "We are considering not only concerts but also fan meetings and other events."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Some voices of discontent have emerged regarding the 'vaccine pass.' This is because the main demand group for K-pop performances, teenagers, have only recently started vaccination. Although submitting a negative PCR test result is allowed, its validity is only two days after issuance. Entertainment industry insider F said, "It will be difficult to hold concerts smoothly immediately," and "Especially at the end of the year, confusion may arise, so the government needs to prepare systematic measures." Industry insiders view the "Korea Culture Festival - 2021 World K-pop Concert," held at KINTEX in Goyang on the 14th of next month, as a starting point. This is an in-person concert organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange to comfort Hallyu fans exhausted by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. K-pop artists such as NCT Dream, Key (SHINee), aespa, and ITZY will perform in large numbers. An expo offering Korean cultural experiences will also be held as a side event, drawing attention to the event format. Shin Yongsik, head of the Hallyu Support Cooperation Division, said, "There are still many variables, so we have not decided on the audience size," but added, "We will prepare meticulously so that the concert and the performance industry can signal a recovery."

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