KAIST professor Lee Byung Tae continues criticism of actor Choi Min Shik over theater ticket price remarks.

On August 22 KST, KAIST Professor Lee Byung Tae continued his criticism of actor Choi Min Shik, who recently advocated for lowering movie theater ticket prices. Professor Lee took to Facebook, stating, “What has always bothered me about his (Choi Min Shik’s) comments, and many politicians’ comments, is the anti-business rhetoric. It’s the lack of appreciation for what companies have contributed.”

He emphasized, “The reason the Korean film industry has grown to this extent, and actors are treated as they are now, is undeniably because large corporations have developed theater businesses that match the income levels of the people.”

Professor Lee clarified that his criticism was not about attacking Choi Min Shik’s “freedom” to make such comments, but rather about the baseless criticism of movie theater ticket prices. He added, “I like Choi Min Sik’s acting. This is not a personal attack, but a criticism of the illogical nature of his remarks.”

Earlier, on August 17 KST, Choi Min Shik appeared on MBC’s ‘Son Suk Hee’s Questions’ and, in response to an audience member’s question about the film industry struggling due to the rise of online video services, stated, “Movie ticket prices have gone up a lot recently. They should be lowered. If they suddenly go up like that, even I wouldn’t go.”

In response, on August 20 KST, Professor Lee shared the article and criticized, “The movie theater business is run by private companies, not a power group, so does it really take courage to say ‘lower the prices’? If market prices could be set according to consumers’ wishes, there would be no business and no economy in this world. And there would be no such thing as the profession of an actor.”

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