Vice Minister of Finance and Economy Kwon Tae-shin on Friday accused the domestic film industry of "collective self-centeredness" over its opposition to easing the screen quota ahead of free-trade negotiations with the U.S. The screen quota prescribes the number of days movie theaters must show Korean films.
Other instances of the malaise include a scandal over the Saemangeum land reclamation project, resistance to a bullet train tunnel through Mt. Cheonseong, protests by the Korea Cargo Transport Workers Federation, and conflict over a nuclear waste storage site, he said. The official's sweeping attack came in a breakfast forum at the CEO Network.
"The number of workers in the film industry is just 10,000-20,000 of a total population of 48 million, and the industry exports about US$100 million compared to the nation's total exports of $280 billion". He said. It was therefore "selfish" that it should get in the way of the FTA talks, he added. "During the Kim Dae-jung administration, it was often suggested to reduce the screen quota once domestic films acquire more than 40 percent of the market. We're now seeing the domestic industry with a share of over 59 percent".
The government will hold a ministerial meeting on Feb. 2 to finalize its position about initiating full-scale FTA talks with the U.S.
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