Moviegoers hit all-time low in March

SEOUL, April 20 (Yonhap) -- As the monthslong coronavirus pandemic has emptied South Korean theaters, the number of moviegoers in the country dropped to an all-time low in March, data showed Monday.

A total of 1.83 million people went to the cinema last month, plunging 87.5 percent from 14.7 million tallied a year ago, according to data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC).

It is the lowest monthly box office number since KOFIC started to compile such data in 2004.

The total revenue nose-dived 88 percent on-year to 15.2 billion won (US$12.5 million) in March.

A record low of 310,000 people saw homegrown films in March, down 95.1 percent on-year, while foreign flicks attracted 1.52 million viewers over the same period, down 81.8 percent from a year earlier.

The sharp drop in the number of ticket sales is attributable to the outbreak of COVID-19 in South Korea, which has kept film buffs at home.

Dozens of movies have postponed scheduled premieres, while major multiplex chains like CGV have closed some theaters.

brk@yna.co.kr
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