[Edaily Starin YUN GI BACK Reporter] A paradoxical situation has arisen in which the screen quota system, intended to protect Korean films, is limiting the competitiveness of specialty theaters. There is a shortage of Korean films released in the IMAX format, yet IMAX theaters are subject to the same mandatory screening requirements for Korean films as regular theaters. As specialty theaters have established themselves as an independent market, there are calls for system reforms that better reflect content supply and audience demand.

According to the film industry on the 16th, starting on the 21st, the Korean film “Paradise Lost” is scheduled to be screened at CGV IMAX theaters in its “standard theatrical version” rather than the IMAX-exclusive format. This scheduling is intended to meet the mandatory screening quota for Korean films. Previously, “30 Days” in 2023, “Escape” in 2024, and “The People Next Door” in 2025 were also screened in standard format at IMAX theaters.
According to Article 19 of the current “Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of Films and Videos,” movie theaters must allocate at least one-fifth of their annual screening days to Korean films. For a theater operating 365 days a year, this amounts to at least 73 days. This standard applies equally to both standard theaters and special theaters, such as IMAX. If a foreign film is screened on a day designated for a Korean film, that day does not count toward the mandatory screening quota.
The problem is that there are not enough Korean films released in the IMAX format. According to the Korean Film Council’s integrated computer network, the number of Korean films released in IMAX was 9 in 2023, 7 in 2024, and 8 in 2025, but this year it has been limited to just three: *HUMINT*, *GUNCHE*, and *HOPE*. The number of days these films were screened in IMAX was 14, 9, and 12, respectively, totaling just 35 days even when added together. This means there is simply not enough IMAX-exclusive content to meet the annual mandatory screening requirement of 73 days.
The difference is also evident in audience demand. This year, the average seat occupancy rate for Korean films at the CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall IMAX theater was around 30%, falling short of the 50% average for foreign films. In contrast, Christopher Nolan’s *The Odyssey* exceeded 90%. This shows that even within the same IMAX theater, ticket sales vary significantly depending on the film.
In particular, for films like *The Martian* that maximize the unique characteristics of the IMAX format, the very experience of watching the film in a special theater acts as a driving force for box office success. This is why audiences are willing to pay higher ticket prices to see a film in an IMAX theater rather than a standard one. However, under the current system, even films with high audience demand may face situations where screenings must be scaled back or suspended to meet the mandatory screening requirements for Korean films.
Opinions are emerging within the film industry that there is a need to discuss a screen quota system that takes into account the unique characteristics of special theaters. Given the limited number of Korean films released exclusively in the IMAX format, it must be examined whether fulfilling the mandatory screening days by showing Korean films in standard formats aligns with the intended purpose of operating special theaters. Film critic Oh Dong-jin emphasized at the Culture and Arts Policy Advisory Committee meeting held on the 13th, “We must find practical ways to improve the screen quota system, which has become a dead letter.”
One proposed alternative is to manage the screening records of Korean films on a theater-wide basis, rather than the current method of calculating mandatory screening days per screen. The aim is to increase the programming autonomy of special screens by consolidating the management of Korean film screening days across both general and special screens within the same theater. However, since this could potentially reduce screening opportunities for Korean films in special screens such as IMAX, it appears that supplementary measures to maintain the system’s original purpose of protecting Korean cinema must also be discussed.