Screen quotas

Screen quotas are a legislated policy that enforces a minimum number of screening days of domestic films in the theater each year to protect the nation's films. The screen quota system is enforced to prevent foreign markets from making inroads into the domestic film market. The screen quota system was started in the United Kingdom in 1927 through the Cinematograph Films Act 1927. Other countries enforcing screen quotas include France, South Korea, Brazil, Pakistan and Italy. The screen quota system has been enforced in South Korea since 1966. The system is: screening more than 6 Korean films each year and more than 90 screening days each year (1966) screening more than 3 Korean films each year and more than 30 screening days each year (1970) more than 1/3 of screening days each year (1973) more than 2/5 of screening days each year and reciprocal screening of Korean and foreign films in cities of more than 300,000 of population (1985) In South Korea, the screen quota has contributed to the rapid increase in the film market. Until the 1990s, the Korean film market had lacked the ability to raise capital funds for films. The quality of Korean films has increased dramatically, with an inflow of capital funds into South Korean film market since 2000. The government has decided to reduce its 40-year-old screen quotas from 146 days to 73 days in 2006. As a result of the free trade agreement between South Korea and the United States, which was agreed on April 2, 2007, the screen quotas in South Korea will not be subject to change from the current 73 days. The controversy of limiting screen quotas initially stemmed from South Korea-America BIT (Bilateral Investment Treaty). As a solution to South Korea's foreign exchange crisis in 1997, President Kim Daejung suggested BIT between South Korea and the United States in a hope that it would increase credibility of South Korean economy, thus boosting foreign investments.