While audiences’ viewing habits have undoubtedly changed following the streaming platform revolution further compounded by the effects of the pandemic, young people remain a key cinemagoing demographic.  

In a 2023 survey published by the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS), the share of audiences in their 20s who watched a film in a theater stood at  83.9 percent – the highest amongst all age groups. Second were those in their teenage years at 83.2 percent followed by those in their 30s (80.9 percent).

In a report on film viewing habits among teenagers published on KoBiz in 2023 in collaboration with CGV, it found that respondents predominately chose cinemas as their preferred way to watch films (95.5 percent) over OTT (47.1 percent) and YouTube (24.5 percent). Although the numbers of teenagers watching content on streaming platforms increased – a similar survey published by Cine 21 in 2020 found 20 percent viewed films on Netflix, Watcha and Wavve – cinemas have evidently remained a popular venue to watch films for young people echoing trends overseas. According to a report compiled by Hub Entertainment Research in the US, 90 percent of Generation Z members go to the cinema regularly, higher than any other generation.

As such, the multiplexes and distributors in Korea are targeting generations Z and alpha. This week we look at the different kinds of content young people are seeking out in the cinemas beginning with animations before turning to event titles, and then “Live” and interactive cinema and ASMR contents. 

Animations – Your Letter

The Korean contents industry in the mid-2020s is a markedly different one compared to the end of the 2010s. Box office sales are nowhere near the peaks of the late 2010s with admissions close to half of what they were in 2019 but there are certain films that are bucking the trend with animated titles being one of them and young people are coming out in large numbers to watch these films in the cinema.

One of this year’s most-talked about titles KPop Demon Hunters (2025) is a Netflix film but it’s part of a wider trend. There are various factors behind its popularity not least its OST and its focus on K-pop and Korean culture, but its success can also be attributed to the growing popularity of animated films that’s evident in Korea and elsewhere, particularly among young people, though some of these films can have cross-generational appeal.

Japanese anime is booming. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle (2025) became the highest-grossing international film in North America generating $131m. It also struck a chord in Korea selling over 5.4m tickets turning it into the second most successful film of 2025.  According to CGV, Korea’s leading cinema chain, those in their 20s led the ticket distribution by age at 40 percent, significantly higher than other age groups (30s (26 percent), 40s (19 percent)).

A similar trend emerges with other Japanese anime. Chainsaw Man: The Movie: Reze Arc (2025) is currently topping the box office (at the time of writing) and has surpassed 2.2m admissions. Viewers in their 20s who booked a ticket at CGV make up almost half of the audiences at 48 percent.

Also an anime, JUJUTSU KAISEN: Hidden Inventory (2025) was third in the box office last weekend (Oct. 17-19) and has attracted over 100,000 viewers with those in their 20s along with teenagers accounting for nearly 60 percent of tickets booked at CGV.

Rather tellingly, half of the films in the top ten last weekend were animations. While three of them were Japanese anime, two were Korean that included Kim Yong-hwan’s Your Letter (2024) that has now been on release for three weeks and has sold over 200,000 tickets due to strong word-of-mouth. It is resonating with both young and older viewers but those is their 20s again represents its biggest audience according to CGV at 30 percent, followed by those in their 40s at 27 percent. Unlike Japanese anime that skew male at around 60 percent, female audiences are coming out in bigger numbers for Your Letter at 64 percent. 

Your Letter is based on a webtoon of the same name by Hyeon A Cho. It follows a transfer student at a high school who finds a letter under her desk with a series of clues to find other letters. While the stunning 2D animation and its attention to detail is reminiscent of Japanese anime, the character’s journey feels more of a local one filled with Korean sentiments. 

The film optimizes many trends currently seen in the Korean film and wider content industry. Not only is it an animation popular with young audiences and sourced from a webtoon that is now common in the industry, but it’s also been sold to 166 countries that will help it breakeven – Korean films are now more dependent on international sales after the domestic market has shrunk. It also features Lee Su-hyun from the sibling duo AKMU as the lead voice and she is part of the film’s soundtrack. With K-pop talent a major draw amongst younger audiences, the worlds of K-pop, K-film and K-media are becoming increasingly interrelated as seen with KPop Demon Hunters. Lee’s brother Lee Chan-hyuk made his debut as music director on the title Midnight Sun (2025) that was released earlier this year.

Event Cinema

Also connected to the K-pop industry and young audiences is event cinema. Concert films and K-pop documentary films were being released prior to the pandemic but their frequency has increased dramatically since 2020 as third and fourth generation groups such as BTS, Blackpink and Aespa have released such titles taking advantage of premium formats including Screen X and 4DX.

In the US, the enormous appeal event cinema can have when a major star is involved was highlighted with the release of Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl (2025). Coinciding with the release of Swift’s new album, its enthusiastic following affected other releases including Paul Thomas Anderson’s lauded One Battle after Another (2025). The promotional event title went on to generate a whopping $50m. This comes after Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (2023) accumulated $267m globally in 2023. 

Some concert films centered on K-Pop groups too have far exceeded expectations. BTS: Yet to Come in Cinemas (2023) surpassed $50m globally in 2023 becoming then the highest grossing worldwide event film.

These films can open strongly; often screened for only a few days, they rely less on audience-driven momentum. But the increasing number of such titles is illustrative of their growing appeal amongst fans that while do span different ages, young people do remain a key demographic. Special tickets and limited-edition posters are also provided to further entice audiences to come and watch these films in the cinema. 

“Live” and Interactive Cinema

Owing to the drop in admissions the multiplexes have remodeled their spaces turning cinemas into places where people can enjoy screen golf, play sports and engage in other activities. The objective is to make cinemas a multi-purpose venue and in doing so attract more people into the cinema – both young and older audiences.

Lotte Cinema has taken the “escape room” concept where participants have to solve a series of puzzles in order to escape and have adapted it to a film setting. It opened its first so-called “Live Cinema” in Hongdae, Seoul in 2024 where small groups collaborate with actors in solving a mystery and become the protagonists in the story. The setting of a cinema and the roles they play helps create the atmospherics of being part of a narrative in a film. Content centered on young people has been curated including a ghost story set in a school that was the theme of the Whispering Corridors films. 

CJ CGV also opened up its own “escape room” called “Mission, Break” at its flagship location at the I’Park Mall in Yongsan, Seoul.

Similar to “Escape Rooms”, Lotte Cinema also created a unique interactive experience with viewers after screenings of Exhuma (2024) where audiences would begin a mystery game immediately after the credits roll. They took on the perspective of a shaman and had to search for clues and complete three quests within 30 minutes via a Kakao chatbot in order to receive exclusive merchandise.

ASMR contents

Younger people in growing numbers have been watching ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) on platforms like YouTube and TikTok. ASMR refers to a specific sensory phenomenon that helps generate feelings of relaxation. It’s sparked by certain sounds and sights like the crushing of chalk or stone – some videos on YouTube that can last a few seconds to much longer have generated millions of views.

In December last year CGV launched Deep Dive Winter Rest collaborating with local YouTube channel Naj-jam (translates as nap) NZ Ambience to present a series of three short-form ASMR pieces that captured the spirit of winter. Lasting 15-minutes, each ticket was priced at 1,000 won and screenings were available at 17 theaters throughout the country.

CJ CGV’s Deep Dive rebranding campaign was launched in July 2024 in an effort to offer customers a range of immersive experiences beyond films utilizing its premium large formats (PLF).  

Written by Jason Bechervaise

Edited by kofic