Written by Sun Park

Some time ago, people said when I go to see a Korea movie, I resent paying the money. But now that's not true. Recently, Korean movies raised the possession percentage of the movies market in Korea by 9%. This is due to the fact that we now have a screening quota. First of all, let's talk about this screening quota.

Theaters show Korean movies for about 146 days from a mere sense of duty. The chief of the self-governing body and the ministry of culture have been able to reduce that number by 40 days. So, recently the screening quota controling the American movies, still has about 80% viewing in the country. The screening quota gives little protection from American movies. Movies appear to be the biggest Culture War of the 21st century. That is, if the screening quota ceases to exists, then Korean movies will also cease to exist. Some people said, if the screening quota no longer exists, the movie director will make better movies. And that protecting the quota may reduce the competitive power. But that's simply not true. No matter how good we make the movies. They have no chance to show the movies in the theater. For example, even if though the Korean movie "Pyun Ji" had more profit than "Go Jil La" it was still replaced. The Korean theaters showed the movie "Go Jil La" instead of "Pyun Ji". Movies like "Pyun Ji" only show a profit for a short period of time. So, if the theater refuses to show a movie like "Go Jil La", then later the theater may not get a box-office hit like "TITANIC". The screening quota's point is not competitive power, it is distribution. It is a theater's hope, that the audience will get value movies for their won. Then the theater will get trailers in a big distribution company like 21st Century Fox or Warner Brothers. But these big distribution companies together seal the success and the failure of movies. Therefore, if our Korean movies don't get put on the screen in Korean theaters, it is no use.

However Korean movies have good competitiveness. All countries who have introduced the American movies industry don't have a national movies industry except for the France, Spain, Grease, Korea and so on who have screening quotas. Statistics report that the continent of South America make only 5 films during 1 year. England does not have a screening quota. Half of England doesn't show films, because Hollywood now has a theater distribution network of more than 40%. In the case of Brazil there was a large possession percentage of domestic movies in the market more than American movies. Then Jack Valency (chief of the American film export association) visited Brazil and little by little the association reduced the screening quota. Finally Brazil's movies were all but gone. The same went for Mexico, when an investment agreement was made with America in 1994. Mexico reduced screening quotas. Now Mexico's film production foundation is gone. Their resuscitation will be very difficult. Only America, Japan, China, Hongkong, India, Korea and European countries having screening quotas have national films. The other countries have no nationally made films.

For this reason, we must not reduce our screening quota. Ten years ago, it is due to the trade department that Korea accepted, directly, the delivery of American films. We were not ready for the direct delivery of American films and we were very hasty in this decision. After this, Korea's movie productivity quickly reduced, but the possession percentage of the movie market, only at 16% in 1993, was up to 25.2% in 1997. We import 400 copies of foreign country film a year. It ranks first among the world. But Korea's national movie products were still in the top 10 of the world movies market. These Korean films show good results. But Korean films are still not able to compete with Hollywood movies. Hollywood movies have 100 years of history. Though Korean movies raise the possession percentage of the movie market, Korean movies are still worse than Hollywood movies. Korea's film industry is trying to increase interest in its films. Film makers try to make good movies for continued positive results, because they fear the absence of the screening quotas. The Entertainment industry is becoming an important industry of the 21st century. This time, if the screening quota is gone, it will keep away the developing leading industry. Film makers say "if we reduce the screening quota by only one day that means the screening quota's gone." They resort to hunger strikes and haircutting in order to protect the screening quota. Their movement against American films is not only for their profit. A statesman and a member of the nation concluded exactly the same about screening quotas. I hope more people will see Korean movies, and will cheer them on in the future.