[2][4] It opened as a two-story reinforced concrete building with a floor space of 400 pyeong (1,300 m2).

[2] Like other movie theaters in Korea, during the colonial period, Gwangju Cinema also served as a public forum for discussing politics.

For example, on October 21, 1948, shortly after the controversial establishment of the First Republic of Korea, protest films were shown that condemned both the South Korean and American governments.

[1] The theater continued operating even during the Korean War, when it was used to show newsreels to the public.

[1] By October 4,[1] the building was restored and renovated, with four floors above ground in the same architectural style as the original.

The theater survived in its single-screen form due to subsidies from the Korean Film Council.

[2] In December 2020, the Dong District government created a "Movie Alley" next to the theater.