Going to the Movies in Seoul

I love going to the movies! Back in North America I go to movies all the time, so naturally, in coming to Seoul I was dreading not being able to see movies here. But this was a silly thing to fear, because luckily, most movies (unless they are Korean or animated) play in English here. This past weekend I went to my first movie here, Cinderella. I saw it in IMAX at the CGV at Wangsimni station. The theater is located on the 5^th floor of Wangsimni station; it features a wide array of North American movies as well as Korean ones. For my first movie in Korea it was a really great experience!

Here are a few of my observations:

– Tickets are similarly priced to tickets at home. My ticket was 12,000 KRW. However, snacks are cheaper here. For a large popcorn it was 5,000 KRW. There were combos with two drinks, and two regular popcorns for 8,000 KRW.

– You are prompted to choose your seats ahead of time when you buy your tickets. While I have encountered this at home, it is more of a premium service, where as here it is commonplace.

– Sweetbox seats: These are built for two people, similar to a couch, and are located at the back of the auditorium. You can select these seats when purchasing your tickets

CGV Sweetbox (source: CGV)

– Movie release dates are a bit different here; sometimes my friends from home will be talking about a movie for a couple weeks before it is released in Korea.

-Movie times here are crazy! They have showings beginning at 8:00 am and some as late as 1:15 am!

There seem to be three major movie theater chains in Seoul, CGV, Lotte Cinema, and Megabox. CGV has the added benefit of offering it’s website in English, were you can check show times and movie release dates. Unfortunately Lotte Cinema and Megabox does not offer it’s website in English. For show times at the CGV Wangsimni station, click the link below.

http://www.cgv.co.kr/reserve/show-times/eng/?areacode=01&theaterCode=0074&date=20150312

If you do want to try Lotte Cinema, there is one only three subway stops at Konkuk University Station. I have been told that this is also a nice theater and offers a good range of snacks and food.

However, if you want to try something new while in Seoul, like the Sweetbox seats, there are a multitude of different movie theaters that offer new and interesting ways to watch movies.

1. Cine de Chef: This is the equivalent of going to movie and dinner at the same time. These theaters offer luxurious seats, delicious food, and waiter service.

Cine de Chef (source: CGV)

2. Gold Class Premium Cinema Lounge: This is the elite of all movie theaters. Each auditorium only seats 30 to 40 people and offer huge beanbag chairs or couches.

Gold Class (source: CGV)

3. Beats by Dr. Dre: Some theaters offer seats that are each equipped with a pair of Beats headphones to get the best audio experience possible.

Beats by Dr. Dre (source: CGV)

4. 4D: While 3D continues to plague North American movie theaters, 4D is a common experience that can be found in Seoul; 4D theaters feature seats that move, and other elements that play upon the senses while watching the movie.