Long before the world was filled with aspiring wizards under the spell of the “Harry Potter” series (2001-11) in the early 2000s, there was George Lucas' “Star Wars” — the epic space opera from the United States that first hit theaters in 1977.

The Star Wars franchise became a pop culture phenomenon, with millions, or possibly billions, of people aspiring to become a Jedi, the peacekeeping knights from a galaxy far, far away.


While the franchise became a cultural touchstone in the West, its lightsaber failed to ignite to the same level of enthusiasm in Korea — a nation otherwise known for its passion for expansive fictional universes, like Marvel's.

What has kept Korean audiences at a distance from the global megafranchise? And can Disney, which acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, finally find a way to connect with the Asian cinema market and win over its longstanding reluctance toward the franchise?

Why yes to Marvel and no to Star Wars?

The lukewarm response toward the franchise in Korea has led some to argue that Korean audiences may simply prefer more grounded, humanistic genres — such as those in romantic dramas or emotionally driven thrillers, which have long been staples of the local film and television industries.

However, the box office charts prove otherwise. Korean audiences have shown immense enthusiasm for fictional universes — particularly the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which, like Star Wars, is also owned by Disney.

Three MCU titles — “The Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015), “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) and “Avengers: Endgame” (2019) — each surpassed the 10-million ticket milestone in admissions, which is considered a major theatrical feat in the Korean film industry.

The latest of the three, in particular, also sits at No. 5 on the nation’s all-time box office list, having sold nearly 14 million tickets.

In contrast to the significant success of the MCU, Star Wars films have struggled to gain similar traction in Korea. The latest installment, released in 2020, “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” drew only 5 million moviegoers, and its predecessor, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” (2017), attracted 9.5 million.

Korea was probably the only country that showed a lukewarm response toward the franchise's 2017 film, as the installment was a global success at the time. It grossed $1.33 billion internationally, making it the highest-grossing film of 2017. It also nabbed four nominations at the 2018 Oscars.

Then, where does this muted response stem from? Experts point to the franchise’s delayed entry into the Korean market as a major factor.

The first film "Star Wars: A New Hope" was released in Korea in 1978, a year later than its release overseas.

However, its sequels faced even longer delays. Due to high import costs, local distributors were hesitant to bring them in. As a result, “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back” (1980) didn’t premiere in Korea until 1997, and its follow-up, “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” (1983), was introduced earlier than its predecessor in 1987.

This fragmented release timeline disrupted the natural growth of its potential fan base, causing Korea to miss the cultural momentum that Star Wars enjoyed elsewhere in the world, according to critics.

“For a franchise to truly thrive in any market, there needs to be a foundational understanding of its universe — an entry point that helps audiences connect with its characters and world-building,” pop culture critic Seong Sang-min said. “Without that groundwork, it's difficult for viewers to become emotionally invested, no matter how spectacular the visuals or storytelling may be.”

“For example, Marvel benefited from a well-paced buildup — starting with early entries like ‘Iron Man’ [2008] that laid the groundwork for the later success of the 'Avengers’ series.”

“Although individual films of the franchise may have generated brief curiosity, the absence of a solid base of familiarity meant fewer viewers could fully immerse themselves in its expansive universe,” he added.

Failing to connect

Another reason often cited is the historical and cultural disconnect between Korea and the narrative framework of the Star Wars franchise.

The sci-fi saga is widely known to be inspired by classic American Westerns, a genre that features themes of gunslingers, the law versus outlaw narrative and exploring the frontier. Even its creator, Lucas, has credited “The Searchers” (1956) as a key influence.

Experts see that this type of narrative reflects an American historical experience — one that doesn't necessarily resonate with Korean audiences, who already have the rich options of their own myths, legends and historical dramas to draw from.

“For the white settlers who crossed over from Europe and claimed the vast North American continent in less than 500 years, there were no ancient myths or legends they could truly call their own,” Park Sang-joon, the head of the Seoul SF Archive, noted in an article. “Though they rose to global dominance in the 20th century through industrial growth, their cultural traditions remained relatively thin. In the end, they turned their gaze not to the past, but to the future — creating new heroic myths not with spears and horses, but with lightsabers and spaceships.”

“As for Koreans, they haven’t necessarily felt the need to seek out such stories, as the culture already had a rich tradition of folktales, legends and timeless stories of its own.”

Some suggest that the space opera genre itself may not hold strong appeal for Korean audiences. Even within the highly popular MCU, the “Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014-23) series — despite its global success — has not matched the box office performance of other Marvel titles in Korea.

Star Wars gains momentum in Korea

Despite its relatively modest popularity in Korea, the Star Wars franchise continues its efforts to build a stronger fan base in the country, potentially eyeing its strong fandom culture.

The launch of Disney+, the streaming service operated by the Walt Disney Company, in Korea has also played a significant role in raising accessibility to the franchise.

“I think I first got interested in Star Wars after Disney+ launched in Korea,” said Shin Ji-nam, 30, who had recently fallen in love with the space opera.

“I started looking it up out of curiosity, and as I got into the vast universe of the series, I naturally ended up watching all the films, shows and even the animations in chronological order.”

To win over these fans, other marketing efforts by Disney are also helping bolster the franchise’s presence here, alongside other countries like Japan.

Since 2015, Disney has hosted annual celebrations for "Star Wars Day" on May 4, which stems from the franchise’s iconic phrase, “May the Force be with you.” The annual events took place in different locations over the years, not only in Seoul but also in cities like Jeonju and Busan.

This year’s event was held in Seoul from May 1 to 6 at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Jung District, central Seoul, featuring parades, Jedi training sessions, orchestral performances and merchandise booths offering Star Wars collaborations.

Hundreds of people flocked to see the parade led by the 501st Legion Korean Garrison — a Korean Star Wars fan club and costuming organization with 32 official members — march in full costume, accompanied by a live performance from the Koreana Marching Band.

More than 62,000 people visited the DDP area on May 4 alone, based on foot traffic estimates across the venue, where Star Wars content was showcased in various spaces, according to the Walt Disney Company Korea. The crowd included international visitors and fans dressed as iconic characters from the franchise. This figure is more than double the DDP’s typical daily average attendance of around 30,000 visitors.

Besides the annual event, Walt Disney Company Korea has also collaborated with various retail brands, including Samsung, baseball team SSG Landers and Uniqlo, to enhance its engagement with a broader public audience.

Based on the enthusiasm, Disney Korea plans to further invest in expanding the Star Wars universe's presence in Korea and the broader Asia-Pacific region.

"The Asia-Pacific region, including Korea, is emerging as the most strategically important fandom market," the Walt Disney Company Korea said.

"Korean consumers perceive content as an extended reality through exhibitions, social media, merchandise, films and streaming platforms," it added. "With a strong preference for novelty and a quick response to trends, they engage with content through immersive, experience-based events and encounter it in various forms throughout their daily lives."

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]