The film ‘No Choice’ by director Park Chan-wook won Best Picture as well as Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actor at the Blue Dragon Film Awards held on the 19th. However, its box-office tally stands at 2.94 million admissions (as of the 20th), making it unlikely to lead to an overwhelming hit exceeding 5 million. What is happening to Korean cinema?

According to the Korean Film Council on the 21st, the number of Korean commercial films with net production budgets of at least 3 billion KRW this year is expected to be about half of the level before COVID-19. Commercial films fell from 45 in 2019 to 16 in 2025. The average profit margin of Korean commercial films also dropped to -12.55% in 2022 and -30.98% in 2023, and film investment itself is declining.

Yoon Ji-won’s Moneytoring YouTube channel addressed why Korean film production is sluggish and the background behind various films failing to find screens.