"Only the Real Experience in Special Theaters": Odyssey Tickets Resold at 5 Times the Price, KOFIC Launches Investigation
IMAX Special Theater Tickets Sold for 20,000 Won Now Priced Over 100,000 Won
Macro Tools Used for Mass Reservation and "Gift" Feature Exploited for Transactions
KOFIC Launches Dedicated 24/7 Reporting Channel
With the box office success of director Christopher Nolan’s new film 'Odyssey,' scalping of special theater tickets, including IMAX, has surged. In response, the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) has opened a dedicated reporting channel and launched an investigation into the situation.
At the press conference held on the 3rd at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno-gu, Seoul, director Christopher Nolan is answering questions about the film Odyssey. Photo by Yonhap News
View original imageAccording to Yonhap News on August 19, KOFIC stated, "We are continuously accepting information to identify the realities of ticket scalping for special auditoriums in domestic movie theaters (such as IMAX, 4DX, and Dolby Cinema) and to prevent damage to audiences and create a fair viewing environment."
Reports can be made if one has suffered financial loss by purchasing special theater tickets at inflated prices, or if scalping posts and transaction evidence are discovered on second-hand platforms, social networking services (SNS), or ticket trading sites.
KOFIC also issued a strong warning regarding abnormal reservation practices, such as using macro programs to secure a large quantity of tickets in advance for resale. In some cases, scalpers have monopolized more than 10 tickets for the same screening and have been found attempting to sell them by abusing the online 'gift' function.
Tickets for Yongsan IMAX's 'Odyssey' are being traded for up to 120,000 won on the ticket transfer platform. Screenshot of Ticketbay website
View original image'Odyssey,' which premiered on August 5, is the first feature-length film to be shot entirely on IMAX 70mm film. As of August 18, the cumulative number of moviegoers has surpassed approximately 5.39 million, securing its box office success.
As a result, IMAX theaters such as CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall—which has the largest screen in Asia and offers a 1.43:1 aspect ratio without cropping—have seen fierce competition among audiences seeking to experience the film in its original format. This has led to tickets for special screenings being resold for 100,000 to 150,000 won on online marketplaces, feeding the rise in scalping activity.
When reporting scalping cases, evidence—including the movie title, theater (branch), screening date and time, seat information, screenshots of posts showing the price requested by the seller, chat history, and transaction URLs—should be sent as attachments to the dedicated KOFIC email address (justice@kofic.or.kr).
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A KOFIC representative said, "The identity of informants and the contents of their reports will be strictly protected in accordance with relevant laws," and urged audiences to actively report such cases to help establish a fair movie-going culture.
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