Gov¡¯t to maintain current screen quota

Minister of Culture and Tourism Kim Han-Gill said Tuesday that the government will maintain the present screen quota system despite U.S. calls for a drastic reduction of the quota in negotiations on the envisioned Korea-U.S. investment treaty.

Minister Kim disclosed the government¡¯s policy during a meeting with figures from the movie world after watching a Korean film, ¡°Libera Me,¡± at Cine Core in Seoul as part of the festival held to mark ¡°movie-watching day.¡±

The screen quota system makes it mandatory for theatres to screen Korean films for 146 days a year or two-thirds of the total number of screening days. But the U.S. is demanding that the number of days be reduced to 60 to 70 per year, sparking strong opposition from Korean film circles.

Minister Kim also said that the government will introduce theaters that will screen exclusively adult films by revising the Law on the Promotion of Motion Pictures to help expand the freedom of expression.