Ae Kwan Theater

{{Infobox building

| name = Ae Kwan Theater

| opened_date = {{start date|1895}}

| embedded = {{Infobox Korean name

|hangul=애관극장

|hanja=愛館劇場

|rr=Aegwan geukjang

|mr=Aegwan kŭkchang

|child=yes

}}

| address = 238 Gyeong-dong, Jung District, Incheon, South Korea

| coordinates = {{Coord|37.47227|126.62984|display=inline,title}}

| mapframe-zoom = 17

| image = Aegwan Geukjang, 2019-05-11-US-FoP.jpg

| caption = The building in 2019

| known_for = First movie theater in Korea

| website = {{Official website|http://www.webdmin.com/portfolio/aekwan/index.html}} (in Korean)

| former_names = Hyŏmnyulsa, Ch'ukhangsa

}}

Ae Kwan Theater ({{Korean|hangul=애관극장}}) is a movie theater in Incheon, South Korea. It is believed to be the oldest movie theater in Korea, having been founded in 1895. It is believed to predate what was widely considered to be the first movie theater, Dansungsa, which was founded in 1907.{{Cite web |last=오 |first=승훈 |last2=김 |first2=경애 |date=2021-11-02 |script-title=ko:"한국 최초의 영화관 '애관극장' 사라지면 안되잖아요" |trans-title="We Can't Let the First Movie Theater in Korea, 'Ae Kwan Theater' Disappear" |url=https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/culture/movie/1017695.html |access-date=2023-09-10 |website=The Hankyoreh |language=ko}}

Ae Kwan is still in operation, although Dansungsa has since ceased.{{Cite news |last=이 |first=재덕 |date=2015-02-07 |script-title=ko:저당 잡힌 '109살 한국 예술의 요람' 단성사는 웁니다 |trans-title=Dansungsa, the '109 Year Old Cradle of Korean Cinema', Weeps After Being Mortgaged |work=Kyunghyang Shinmun |url=https://khan.co.kr/economy/economy-general/article/201502061417191 |access-date=2023-09-10}} It is now owned by the AE KWAN Theater Co., Ltd.{{Cite web |script-title=ko:애관극장 |trans-title=Ae Kwan Theater |url=http://www.webdmin.com/portfolio/aekwan/index.html |access-date=2023-09-10 |website=www.webdmin.com}}

The theater formerly went by the names Hyŏmnyulsa and Ch'ukhangsa.

History

According to a book ({{Korean|hangul=《개항과 양관 역정》|labels=no}}) from Choe Seong-yeon, the theater was first founded in 1895, during the First Sino-Japanese War, as Hyŏmnyulsa ({{Korean|hangul=협률사|hanja=協律舍|rr=Hyeomnyulsa|labels=no}}, not to be confused with Hyŏmnyulsa, which has a different final Hanja character).{{Cite news |last=정 |first=창교 |date=2017-02-22 |script-title=ko:한국 최초의 공연장 인천 협률사를 아시나요 |work=Kukmin Ilbo |publisher= |location= |url=http://news.kmib.co.kr/article/view.asp?arcid=0011282832 |access-date=}} In 1912, it changed its name to Ch'ukhangsa ({{Korean|hangul=축항사|hanja=築港舍|rr=Chukhangsa|labels=no}}). In 1921, it again changed its name to Ae Kwan ({{Korean|hangul=애관|hanja=愛館|rr=Aegwan|labels=no}}), and renovated on October 10, 1927.{{Cite news |last=김 |first=현석 |date=2018-01-08 |script-title=ko:[시론] 애관극장 한 세기 |work=인천투데이 |publisher= |location= |url=http://www.incheontoday.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=38235 |access-date=}}