Watching Regular Films in 4DX Theaters… “Theaters Are Forced, and Audiences Can’t Accept It”

As Korea’s screen quota system requires a minimum number of screening days for Korean films each year, the rule is applied equally to special-format theaters such as 4DX and IMAX. The film industry says, “We agree with the purpose of the screen quota, but the standard should be set by theater, not by individual auditoriums.”

(Captured from CJ CGV website. Redistribution prohibited.)

When trying to book a ticket for director Ha Jung-woo’s new film ‘The People Upstairs’, you might encounter an unexpected sight: despite being produced in a standard digital format, the comedy is frequently being scheduled in 4DX and IMAX special theaters.

The reason lies in Korea’s screen quota system, which legally mandates a minimum number of Korean film screening days.

Under the Promotion of the Motion Pictures and Video Products Act, every movie theater must screen Korean films for at least one-fifth of its annual operating days. Assuming year-round operation (365 days), theaters are required to allocate 73 days per year to Korean films.

However, these mandatory screening days are counted per auditorium, not per theater. When there aren’t enough Korean films produced in special formats such as 4DX or IMAX, theaters are essentially forced to screen regular films in those premium auditoriums to meet the quota.

(Captured from CJ CGV application. Redistribution prohibited.)

According to the Korean Box Office Information System, as of December 5, CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall’s 4DX auditorium had screened Korean films for 62 days this year — still 5 days short of meeting the requirement.

Since early this year, titles such as ‘The Match’, ‘The Opposition Party’, and ‘The Devil Has Moved In’ — all standard digital films — have been shown to fill the quota, yet the end-of-year “homework” remains unfinished.

With ‘Avatar: The Fire and Ash’ opening on the 17th, and expected to occupy many 4DX slots due to its nature, the theater must fulfill its Korean film quota before that release.

One industry insider said, “Theaters can’t provide proper service under these conditions, and customers don’t understand why they have to watch films unsuited for special formats inside special-format auditoriums.”

In 4DX theaters, motion chairs equipped with special effects are installed, which can even feel uncomfortable when those effects don’t match the content of a regular film.

The insider added, “While we understand the purpose of the screen quota, simply changing the standard from auditorium-based to theater-based would satisfy both theaters and audiences.”

For audiences, this also means fewer opportunities to watch currently available 4DX-compatible titles — such as ‘Zootopia 2’, ‘Wicked: For Good’, and ‘Jujutsu Kaisen: Shibuya Incident X Culling Game – The Movie’ — in their preferred theaters.

Fans of this year’s hits ‘F1: The Movie’ and ‘Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle’ have expressed regret on social media, noting that without the quota system, they could have continued multiple repeat viewings in nearby special-format theaters.

Another industry source commented, “Theaters are sometimes forced to screen Korean films regardless of suitability, and audiences have no real reason to watch non-special-format Korean films in special theaters,” adding, “It’s time to reassess the effectiveness of the screen quota system.”

By Jeong Rae-won