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Culture Ministry aims to revive film industry with movie ticket subscription program

Published: 24 Dec. 2025, 19:05 Updated: 25 Dec. 2025, 13:49

First Vice Culture Minister Kim Young-soo speaks on Dec. 23 during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo at National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in central Seoul. [KIM SEONG-RYONG]

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism plans to introduce a subscription-based movie ticket program starting in 2027 to draw audiences back to theaters and spur new investment in the film industry.

The plan would offer a 24,000 won ($16) package, with the government covering 9,000 won by reimbursing theaters. The package would allow viewers to watch four movies at 6,000 won each during a set period, with them only paying 15,000 won out of pocket.

The Culture Ministry presented the plan as one possible model and will finalize the subsidy amount and discount rate through consultations with budget authorities and theater operators.

"The money only flows back into film production and investment when people watch movies in theaters," First Vice Culture Minister Kim Young-soo said Tuesday during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in central Seoul. "We aim to remind people of the value of theaters, something they cannot experience elsewhere, and encourage audiences to return."

Kim stressed that the ministry is also preparing a broader push to revive the film industry, which he described as facing falling attendance and weaker investment.

Korea’s movie theater admissions once topped 200 million a year, but now sit near 100 million. Commercial film production has also shrunk, with Korea having produced 25 commercial films this year, down from 58 in 2000.

“The film industry involves a high degree of uncertainty, but streaming platforms offer more predictable returns,” Kim said. "More producers now target streaming platforms, and investment in riskier theatrical films has dropped sharply. As viewing habits change, fewer people go to theaters."

The Culture Ministry is grouping its theater measures under a program it calls the “Theater Value Discovery Project,” which aims to make moviegoing attractive again.

First Vice Culture Minister Kim Young-soo speaks on Dec. 23 during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo at National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in central Seoul. [KIM SEONG-RYONG]

“The immersion that theaters provide through high-quality visuals and sound is hard to replicate elsewhere,” Kim said.

Alongside the subscription plan, the Culture Ministry plans to narrow what it sees as a widening investment gap.

“Even if we add up all government film and content-related funds, they total only 200 billion won,” Kim said. "Netflix alone invests nearly 1 trillion won a year, so the gap remains huge."

Kim said the government sometimes referred to its film policy package as “CPR” while preparing the measures.

A Netflix sign and the company's logo are displayed atop buildings in Los Angeles on Dec. 18. [AP/YONHAP]

“The industry is in crisis, but Korean video content remains competitive,” he said. “Once momentum returns, the sector can recover quickly."

Kim also emphasized the need to expand infrastructure for live performances, such as K-pop concerts.

“We want to build a venue that makes people say it would feel strange if Taylor Swift skipped it during an Asia tour,” he said.

The government plans to fund sound and lighting upgrades at six sports facilities this year to help them host concerts. It also plans to build a 50,000-seat dome-style venue in the Seoul metropolitan area by 2033.

Kim also announced a plan to support regional arts centers.

“For residents outside major cities, arts centers serve as the first gateway to culture and function like capillaries in the regional cultural ecosystem,” he said. "Current subsidy rules do not allow state funding for the construction or remodeling of regional arts centers, so we are working with related ministries to push for a legal revision that makes it possible."

Kim said the government plans to crack down on illegal ticket scalping but does not plan to ban all ticket resales.

“The amendment includes ‘habitual’ and ‘commercial’ activity as elements of illegal resale,” he said. "We will not punish someone simply because they resell a 20,000 won ticket once at a somewhat higher price.

“We will make 2026 the year K-culture establishes itself as a new growth engine. We will ensure the public can feel that shift.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HA NAM-HYUN [[email protected]]