The Korean Film Council has launched a reporting center to combat the surge of high-priced scalped tickets for the movie 'Odyssey' [1].
This crackdown follows a spike in illegal trading for premium theater seats, which has prevented regular moviegoers from accessing the film through official channels. The situation has become particularly acute at specialized theaters across the country, including IMAX, 4DX, and Dolby Cinema locations [2].
Demand for the film is driven by its technical specifications. 'Odyssey' is the first movie filmed using IMAX 70mm film and features a 1.43:1 aspect ratio [1]. This has led to intense competition for seats at the CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall IMAX theater, commonly known as 'Yong-a-maek' [2].
Reports indicate that scalpers are using macro programs to reserve large blocks of tickets automatically. These tickets are then resold at inflated prices, with some seats at the Yongsan IMAX theater reaching 100,000 won [2].
In response to these practices, the Korean Film Council began operating a dedicated reporting window for illegal transactions on Aug. 18, 2026 [1]. The agency intends to use the reports to investigate the current state of the black market for special theater seating.
"We are operating a constant reporting window for unfair transactions starting from the 18th to identify the actual state of ticket scalping in special theaters and to prevent damage to audiences," a Korean Film Council spokesperson said [2].
The agency is coordinating with theater operators like CGV to monitor booking patterns and mitigate the impact of automated reservation software. While the film opened on Aug. 5, 2026, the scale of the scalping operation prompted the government to intervene within two weeks of the release [3].
“Tickets for the Yongsan IMAX theater reached 100,000 won [2].”
The intervention by the Korean Film Council highlights a growing tension between the high demand for 'event cinema'—films that require specific technical formats to be fully experienced—and the limitations of current ticketing infrastructure. As macro-bot technology makes it easier for scalpers to monopolize limited premium seating, theater chains and regulators may be forced to implement stricter identity verification or dynamic pricing to maintain fair access.
