South Korean movie theaters experienced a dramatic decline in audience numbers during the first six months of 2025, with attendance dropping by more than 30% compared to the same period last year, according to a comprehensive midyear report released by the Korean Film Council on Thursday.
The report revealed that total movie attendance from January through June reached 42.5 million viewers, generating approximately 407.9 billion won (equivalent to $293 million) in ticket sales revenue. These figures represent a significant year-over-year decline of 32.5% in attendance and an even steeper 33.2% drop in total revenue, highlighting the challenging conditions facing the South Korean film industry.
When examining box office performance by revenue, the Hollywood blockbuster "Mission: Impossible -- The Final Reckoning" emerged as the top-grossing film during this period, earning an impressive 32.9 billion won from an estimated 3.36 million moviegoers. The film's strong performance demonstrated the continued appeal of international action franchises among Korean audiences.
Following closely behind was the domestic crime-action film "Yadang: The Snitch," which achieved the distinction of being the most-watched Korean movie with 3.38 million viewers. Despite attracting more viewers than the Mission: Impossible sequel, the film came in second place in terms of revenue generation, earning 32 billion won in ticket sales.
Rounding out the top three was acclaimed director Bong Joon-ho's latest offering, "Mickey 17," which drew 3.01 million moviegoers and earned 29.7 billion won at the box office. Bong Joon-ho, who previously gained international recognition for films like "Parasite" and "The Host," continued to demonstrate his ability to attract substantial audiences to Korean cinemas.
Perhaps most concerning for the domestic film industry was the decline in market share for Korean productions. During the first half of 2025, Korean films accounted for only 50% of total box office revenue, representing a significant decrease of 8.8 percentage points compared to the same period in the previous year. This decline suggests that international films, particularly Hollywood productions, gained a larger share of the Korean movie market during this period.
The substantial drop in both attendance and revenue reflects broader challenges facing the Korean entertainment industry, potentially influenced by various factors including changing consumer viewing habits, increased competition from streaming platforms, and evolving audience preferences in the post-pandemic entertainment landscape.
