Ticket booths at a performance hall in Seoul. (image: Interpark Corp.)
SEOUL, Aug. 30 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of attendees seeing theatrical performances on weekdays in South Korea increased more than 10 percent on-year in the past 12 months thanks to a reduced working hour system, industry data showed Friday.
About 2.41 million people saw musicals and plays on weekdays from July last year to June this year, up 11.1 percent from 2.17 million tallied over the same period a year ago, according to the data compiled by Interpark Corp., a leading e-commerce firm.
Performances starting before 4 p.m. attracted 525,000 people over the 12-month period, up 22.1 percent from a year earlier.
The increase came as the country introduced the so-called 52-hour workweek scheme on July 1 last year.
The South Korean government implemented a legal maximum of 52 hours of work per week as part of efforts to stimulate consumption and generate economic growth.
And a flexible working hour system, allowing workers to take breaks to make up for overtime work within a certain period, has also been adopted.
The 52-hour workweek system went into effect last July for companies with more than 300 employees and will be gradually expanded to cover smaller firms.
The local art industry is moving swiftly to attract people to spend their increased after-work time at theaters.
The Seoul Art Center advanced its evening performance time by 30 minutes to 7:30 p.m, while many musical organizers run a discount program on Wednesdays.
(Yonhap)
