KTU Calls on Government to Maintain Screen Quota

Screen Quota Should Be Kept

Korean movie stars are staging street protests to protect nation's film industry. Rallies are scheduled for February 8th and 17th. What sends them out to the street?

On January 26th, the finance ministry's announcement that the 'Screen Quota' would be halved, from 146 to 73 days a year, made not only movie makers but all movie lovers upset. Moreover, it was a 'preparatory measure' for a free trade agreement between Korea and the U.S.

Since President Roh said he planned to open the education and medical industries, the pressure for liberalising markets in the areas of culture and education is getting stronger, and the government has lowered the protective wall.

The screen quota is a necessary protection system for Korean movies. Every country except the U.S. is supporting a system to protect culture.

The quota was first adopted in accordance with the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of Cultural Diversity, which was adopted at its general conference in Paris last October. China has had a 66.6% quota from 2002, and the EU has made it obvious in its constitution that it intends to make no deals on cultural properties in its trade negotiations. With Hollywood films occupying 95% of the world's movie screens, other countries need to protect their films as cultural assets.

The government should reconsider the ONE-WAY announcement for its FTA-related measures, including the screen quota cut and the special law for foreign schools. Korea has already given up food sovereignty, and now they are trying to give up our culture sovereignty. What is the government for?

The KTU will work to protect our culture, language, life and education. Furthermore, the KTU will make every effort against a Korea-US FTA which will make our agriculture industry barren and open our education and medical services to money competition.

2006.02.06 - KTU (Kim Jin-soo)

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