Half of moviegoers cut theater visits as ticket prices bite
2026.03.21 16:00
Streaming use increases in line with decrease in theater visits
| The poster for "The King's Warden," the highest-grossing Korean film of 2026, hangs outside a theater in Seoul on March 8. (Yonhap) |
Nearly half of South Koreans who watch movies in theaters said they are going less often than a year prior, while the use of streaming services has risen at a similar pace, a report by the Korean Film Council showed Thursday.
Some 45.8 percent of respondents who watched at least one movie at the cinema between October 2024 and September 2025 said they visited theaters less frequently than in the previous 12-month period, according to the state-run agency’s survey. Of them, 16.5 percent said their visits had “significantly decreased,” while 29.3 percent reported a slight decline.
Only 12.1 percent said they went to theaters more often than a year earlier, while 42.1 percent said their viewing frequency was similar.
The survey included Koreans aged 14 to 69.
In contrast, 45.9 percent of respondents said they used streaming services more frequently than a year earlier. Some 12.6 percent reported a decline in usage, while 41.6 percent said it remained about the same.
Netflix was the most widely used platform, with about 88 percent of respondents reporting usage, followed by Coupang Play (46.8 percent), Tving (35.5 percent), Disney+ (26.5 percent) and Wavve (14.4 percent).
A majority, 56.1 percent, said they primarily watch movies via streaming platforms, far exceeding the 8.3 percent who said they mainly watch films in theaters. The share of those watching movies mostly on television (25.8 percent) or via video-on-demand services (9.1 percent) also surpassed theater viewing.
Tickets price is main factor
The report noted that the decline in theater attendance could not be directly attributed to the rise of streaming platforms. It found that frequent streaming users are also more likely to visit theaters, suggesting the two channels complement each other rather than existing in pure competition.
When asked why they visit theaters less often, 25.1 percent cited high ticket prices, while 21.5 percent said there were no movies worth watching. Another 17.5 percent pointed to the abundance of content available on streaming platforms and 17.4 percent said films can be accessed through other means.
Respondents were also asked what they considered to be an appropriate ticket price. Some 41 percent chose a range of 8,000 won to 10,000 won ($5.30 to $6.70), well below the current standard prices of 14,000 won on weekdays and 15,000 won on weekends.
Even the 12,000 won to 14,000 won range was seen as too expensive by 33 percent of respondents.
“General inflation since the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with changing spending patterns, is leading people to view going to the theater as an optional expense,” the report said.
Movie ticket prices in Korea rose to 12,000 won to 13,000 won in 2020, up 2,000 won from two years earlier, and have continued to increase to current levels set in 2022. The cumulative rise is close to 40 percent, significantly outpacing inflation over the same period.
“The decline in theater visits reflects a combination of factors, including price increases, a gap between perceived and actual ticket prices, limited discounts, changes in leisure patterns and the growing availability of tools to assess film quality, such as rating systems,” the report said.
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