Seoul Theater Chain Swaps Screens for Climbing Walls to Lure Young Koreans
- Multiplex operator tapping into bouldering craze in Korea
- Design elements of theaters suited for building climbing walls
As theaters around the world struggle to lure viewers back after the pandemic, one South Korean cinema chain is testing out a new way to draw people away from streaming shows on their couches back to the big screen — by adding bouldering walls.
The country’s largest multiplex movie chain operator CJ CGV Co., part of entertainment behemoth CJ Corp., started installing climbing walls in 2021 in one of its multiplexes, Jongno Piccadilly, in central Seoul. It demolished two movie screens to make way for the walls, leaving six screens for movies. The Peakers climbing gym opened its doors in January 2022.