A Mixed-Methods Analysis of YouTube Audience Discourse on Structural Changes in Korean Film Box Office Factors During the Theatrical Crisis Era

Key Points

• This study examines the structural changes in factors influencing the success of Korean films during the post-COVID-19 crisis period.
• Analyzed 29,987 YouTube comments using LDA topic modeling and conducted qualitative content analysis on 1,450 high-engagement comments.
• Focused on seven commercially successful Korean films released between 2020 and 2026.
• Star power experienced a decline, replaced by IP and narrative-based factors as primary influences.
• Genre and story elements emerged as dominant box office factors post-2025, signaling the rise of the webtoon IP era.
• Viral marketing effects, while not quantitatively measurable, were identified as crucial qualitative contributors to film success.

Abstract