Screen Quotas - in South Korea

In South Korea

The screen quota system has been enforced in South Korea since 1967. 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.