Disney Korea Accused of Violating Anti-Trust Laws Over Release of 'Frozen 2'

According to reports from Yonhap, The Public Welfare Committee (PWC) issued complaints against the Korean sector of the Walt Disney Company after the release of the highly anticipated animation, "Frozen 2."

PWC, a South Korea civic group, believes that Disney is monopolizing the screens and illegally dominating the movie market in South Korea.

"On Nov. 23, Frozen 2 had an 88-percent share of all screens and 16,220 showings, breaking the record set by Avengers: Endgame in the number of showings in the history of the Korean cinema," the PWC wrote in their complaint. "This is a case of one business occupying more than 50 percent of the market and constitutes a violation of the antitrust law....[Disney has] attempted to monopolize the screens and seek great profit in the short term, restricting the consumer's right to choose."

Alleged monopolizing is not a new problem in the South Korean movie market. Many insist that the government needs to take action to reduce the control of industry conglomerates.

According to an article by Cartoon Brew, 93% of movie screens in South Korea are controlled by three major companies: CJ Group, Lotte Group, and Megabox

Cineastes Council for Anti-Monopoly said in a statement last week that ""The screen monopoly is not a one-off case. The government has to tackle the winner-take-all cinema market."

In spite of the alleged violation, "Frozen 2" is a global success. It has earned over $60 million. It is third only to the United States and China for the largest market for the animation.