Last summer, South Korea's major cinema chains refused to show the Korean film "Okja" because its distributor, Netflix, released it online so quickly the theaters felt they were getting ripped off.
And similar dispute has flared up again,... over the Netflix-distributed film "Roma."
Won Jung-hwan reports.
Netflix, the world's largest online streaming platform, has angered Korean cinemas with its latest release.
Roma, Alfonso Cuaron's critically-acclaimed portrayal of family life in 1970s Mexico, which won a Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, was released on the streaming platform this Friday, just two days after it began showing in cinemas.

Only some 40 cinemas across Korea are screening Roma as major cinema chains are boycotting the movie, claiming Netflix should follow the standard three-week holdback period where films are shown exclusively in movie theaters.
They argue that shortening the exclusive window from three weeks devalues the theatrical experience and discourages people from leaving their homes to watch movies.


"A release of the streaming service within just two days of opening doesn't respect the existing Korean cinema ecosystem,… and it can be regarded as a move to strengthen their own platform in the Korean market."

Netflix on the other hand claims that releasing movies to streaming subscribers and in theaters simultaneously,... so gives consumers, including roughly 900-thousand South Korean subscribers, more choice over their movie-watching experience.
But as the battle between the streaming giant and cinema chains heightens,… ordinary people who just want to enjoy the movie could be the ones who end up losing out.
Won Jung-hwan, Arirang News.