Movie theaters in Gwangju.

[2010 update: It's impossible to provide listings on a blog because movie theaters change their URLs constantly. Instead, I recommend readers use Korea Movie Times to get listings in English for theaters all over the country.]

Here's an entry to feed Google, in response to the hits I sometimes get from people looking for movie theaters in Gwangju. They're plentiful in that city, and you won't have much trouble finding them if you're in Sangmu or downtown. Likewise it's pretty easy to find information about them if you search in Korean. However, googling for information doesn't turn up anything. Except for this page now. I've also noticed that if you type in the theater plus the city---Megabox 광주, for instance---into Naver you'll usually get showtimes and a map. Thus defeating the purpose of this post I guess. Please tell me if any of the links are broken.

** CGV - The nearest subway station is Oncheon, but it looks like quite a hike from there. Best grab one of the buses: 풍암16, 지원25, 일곡38, 지원45, 지원50, 상무62, 상무63, 상무64, 송암73, 송암518. Here's what's playing now.

** CGV (Cheomdan) - In Gwangsan-gu next to the Lotte Mart, accessible via a bunch of buses. Here's what's playing now.

** Columbus Cinema (콜롬버스시네마) - There are two, one in Sangmu and one in Gwangsan-gu. The Sangmu one is next to the E-Mart, nearest the Honam University subway station. The Gwangsan-gu one is really only convenient for those who live there and who thus know where it is. Here's a list of what's playing; Sangmu is in blue, Gwangsan is in red.

** Hami Cinema (하미시네마) - This one is a little ways from the side entrance to Chunnam University. Here's a map. Here's what's playing now.

** IMAX - This opened on May 29th, 2009, and is located at the Gwangju Bus Terminal. The closest subway station is Nongseong, and it's accessible by a ton of the city buses. Click here and scroll down to find what's playing.


** Jeil Theater (제일극장) - This is a little one also in Chungjangno, across from Mudeung Cinema. Apparently it's operated by Primus. Here's what's playing now.

** Lotte Cinema (롯데시네마) - Located on the 9th floor of the Lotte Department Store, close to Geumnamro 5-ga Station. Here's what's playing now.

** Lotte Cinema (Cheomdan) - In Gwangsan-gu, in the Fox Zone (폭스존) shopping center. Far away from everything except Gwangsan, accessible by a number of buses that go out that way. Here's what's playing now (currently not working)

** Megabox - One of the theaters in the Chungjangro area. Accessible via Geumnamno 4-ga Station, it'samong the tallest buildings in the area. If at the post office in the middle of the area, walk past Burger King and at the end of the block make a right. It'll be on your left. Here's a map. Here's what's playing now.

** Mudeung Cinema (무등시네마) - This is another theater downtown in Chungjangno. It occupies two buildings and is around the corner from Burger King. So for some movies you'll have to go outside and cross the street to get to screens 2, 7, 8, and 9. Here's what's playing now.

A little while ago I was pleased to discover a little old theater downtown that plays a lot of foreign movies. Called the Gwangju Theater (I guess, it's 광주극장, but I don't think anybody calls it anything in English but me) it's a few minutes from the McDonald's. If you're at that intersection in front of the McDonald's, cross the street and wander into the older part of town and make that first left. It's on your right, and always looks closed. You can get information about what's playing from the Naver cafe.

Also downtown was the 태양극장, which opened in 1957. When I first thought up this entry over the summer the theater was still there, although it was boarded up and the posters in the window were for one of the Blade movies. When I walked past in the fall it was gone.



A local paper a series on theaters in Gwangju that aren't there any more. It's available here, in Korean, if you run a search for 영화가 흐르던 자리.