SEOUL CINEMA CLOSES DOWN AFTER 42 YEARS

[Anchor Lead]

Back in the days, Seoul’s Jongno area used to be the top movie theater district. Seoul Cinema was one of those Jongno institutions. But after 42 years of running, the theater has shuttered over financial difficulties. It was a symbol of the revival of Korean cinema but now it has stepped into history, failing to keep up with the current times.

[Pkg]

There used to be a time when huge posters were hung outside cinemas and people line up at the ticket booth. This was the way back then. In the 1980s and ‘90s, the Jongno area in Seoul was home to a cluster of theaters such as Seoul Cinema, Piccadilly and Dansungsa. On the weekends, moviegoers flocked to the area. However as multiplex chains began to spring up in the late ‘90s, the Dansungsa building was among the first to seal its fate, demolished in 2001. Piccadilly followed, being acquired by CGV. And now Seoul Cinema is gone too. This comes 42 years after a film company established it in 1979.

[Soundbite] Shim Jae-myung(President, Myung Films) : "Places such as Seoul Cinema continued the traditional movie making business of investment, import and distribution up until conglomerates jumped into the film industry."

Coffee shops around the theaters where production and distribution agency officials used to gather on movie release dates disappeared ages ago. Vendors who used to crowd the streets all the way to the subway station can no longer be found.

[Soundbite] Choi Joon-ho(Patron) : "It’s sad to see what some consider an iconic facility of Seoul shut down. I was hoping it could be revived."

The pandemic did deliver a decisive blow. But it’s been quite some time since moviegoers stopped frequenting Jongno amid the prevalence of multiplex theaters.

[Soundbite] An Yeong-in(Patron) : "There’s a multiplex near my home so it’s convenient. It’s not like different movies are being shown so I tend to go there."

Seoul Cinema was even named a future cultural heritage site in 2013. Once a cinema paradise, the Jongno theater district now stands in name only, with just remnants of past glory.