Movies are delaying their premieres once again in South Korea following the resurgence of the novel coronavirus.

Back in February and March, when South Korea experienced its first surge of the COVID-19 outbreak, several films delayed their premieres as movie theaters across the nation shut down. The box office recovered during the summer as the South Korean government implemented social distancing guidelines and extensive contact tracing and testing measures that kept the virus under control. However, in August, a resurgence of COVID-19, particularly in the Seoul metropolitan area, spurred the government into taking stricter measures again.

Entertainment production, which is centered in the metropolitan area, has also suffered from the resurgence, with several dramas being put on hold after cast and crew members were reported to be in contact with possible or confirmed cases. In South Korea, cast and crew members often work on multiple productions at the same time, increasing the risk of transmission.

On August 27, “Space Sweepers” announced that the film would be postponing its premiere date. This is the second time that the film has been postponed, as the movie was originally set to be released during the summer.

A source from the movie said, “Although ‘Space Sweepers’ was set to premiere on September 23, it will now be temporarily delayed due to the situation regarding the spread of COVID-19. We will announce the new release date after monitoring the current situation. We ask for everyone’s understanding and we hope that the situation will be under control soon.”

Jang Hyuk’s action film, “The Swordsman,” has also changed its premiere date from September 17 to September 23. Sung Dong Il, Kim Hee Won, and Ha Ji Won’s film, “Collateral,” was reported to be postponed, but a source from the movie stated that the release date is still undergoing discussion. “Collateral” was set to premiere on September 10. The animated horror film “Beauty Water,” which was set to premiere on September 2, has also been temporarily postponed.

Apart from domestic films, foreign films have also had their premieres in South Korea delayed, such as “New Mutants” (from September 3 to September 8) and “Mulan” (from September 10 to September 17).

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