Assembly stages screen quota system symposium

The National Assembly held a symposium on the controversial ¡°screen quota" system under the title of ¡°The Development of Visual Culture in the 21st Century and the Screen Quota System¡± at the small conference room of the National Assemblymen¡¯s Building in Yoido, Wednesday.

The symposium was apparently held as part of a preparatory effort to induce the Unification, Foreign Affairs, and Trade Committee of the National Assembly to adopt a resolution calling for the maintaining of the current screen quota.

Minister of Trade Han Duck-Soo of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has hinted at a plan to reduce the screen quota on various occasions.

Earlier, the Screen Quota Cultural Solidarity successfully induced the Culture and Tourism Committee of the Assembly to adopt such a resolution in January.

Keynote speakers and panelists shared the view that the current screen quota system should be kept as is to ensure the development of domestic film culture in the new millennium. They stressed that the Assembly should extend positive supports such as the adoption of a resolution to that effect.

Some 200 film directors, including Im Kwon-Taek, actors, members of movie-related civic organizations and university students in the metropolitan area attended the forum, demonstrating their determination to keep the current screen quota.