joeydaninja

SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- "Rolling," says one of the assistants. "Action!" exclaims a director.

It's an increasingly familiar sight in South Korea these days -- the making of movies.

South Korean films are packing a punch, both at home and overseas, and are more popular than ever.

Box office sales are strong and critical acclaim is growing on the international circuit.

But the success of the Korean film industry is not all about quality. This is a protected industry and the United States, led by Hollywood, wants to change that.

Under a government quota system South Korean cinemas must show local films at least 146 days of the year.

Not only does that encourage filmmakers, it also reassures the industry's financial backers that there will be a guaranteed outlet to support investment returns.

At the moment Korean films are actually being shown more than the quota level because of high demand. They're also taking almost 50 percent of box office sales.

But the United States is crying foul and claims the quota system provides unfair competition.

"I have a hard time saying that any industry after 40 years of protection still needs protection," Tami Overby from the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea told CNN.

"Korean movies are very good. They are winning awards at international film festivals."

That may be so, but the Korean film industry says it just doesn't have the muscle to compete against Hollywood.

"Because the economic influence and the distribution network of the United States is far superior, it is difficult for the movie industry in other countries to survive," the nation's best-known actor, Ahn Sung Ki, told CNN.

"But movies are a part of our culture before it is an industry. Therefore, I believe that such culture should be kept intact."

The industry has a sympathetic ear in the form of South Korea's Culture and Tourism Minister Lee Chang-dong, a renowned movie director in his own right.

"We view the screen quota system as a way to develop and protect our movie industry and consider it an important policy. So, for the U.S. to say whether it is necessary or not is not appropriate," Lee said.

But the United States is upping the ante in the fight.

It says it won't sign off on a new bilateral investment treaty with South Korea, unless the quota system is changed.

The treaty, according to the United States, would make South Korea a more favored destination for U.S. investment. In fact, Korea's current recession is tipping the balance in favor of U.S. demands.

But the movie industry says it will continue to fight to protect what it sees as Korea's cultural heritage.

Tommy Ceez

Is'nt that the same thing that 99% Americans are doing along the DMZ for the last 50 years?

Hiro11

I've seen many of the bissest South Korean movies (Korean wife) and they are mostly either straight retreads of Hollywood stuff (mostly comedies and action) or heavily influenced by Hollywood stuff. So much for "cultural heritage".

DRG

And off topic, but WTF is this?

rkndkn

DRG, it looks like they're giving "Happenstance" (le Battement d'ailes du papillon) the title of "Amelie 2" to cash in on Audrey Tautou.

At the bottom, you can make out what looks like "A Film by Laurent Firode", and "Audrey Tautou" and "Faudel" (stars of "Happenstance).

eXcentris

I've seen a lot of South Korean films and I have to disagree with that statement. I'm sure they produce their share of duds like everywhere else but generally speaking, I find Korean cinema to be "fresh", original, inventive, and not the same rehashed rubbish that Hollywood and even HK constantly recycle.

It's bad enough that we'll be subjected to remakes of Il Mare, My Wife is a Gangster, My Sassy Girl, and god knows what else and that the originals will never get released here, I don't want these originals get more Americanized to start with.

I agree with the South Koreans completely. If they have to see crap, let it be their own crap.

MadPervert

Hiro11:

Hmm.. If South Korea's films are just rehashes of American films then why is the US currently remaking six Korean films?

I see.. Korea is copying off the US and then the US is copying back off Korea.

So after the US remakes My Sassy Girl(rehash of what US movie?) and My wife is a Gangster, will Korea remake it again?

Just in case you didn't hear it the first time, THE US IS REMAKING SIX KOREAN FILMS. EMBARRASSING!!

This is the second time the US is putting pressure on Korea to remove the quota and both times were when Korean films were doing well. First time Jackass Valenti met with Korean officials to tell them how to make money just as Miri made more money there than Titanic. The second time is now when the Hollywood film industry realized that Korean films are quality films and since they can't come up with anything original they have to remake Korean movies.. Did I say that already. Six of them..

I agree with eXcentris, Korean films are fresh, innovative, quality films. Hollywood has a monopoly and doesn't want to change that. They want to stop South Korea from producing films period.

joeydaninja

VOLCANO HIGH rocks!

Trigger

Those two movies are nothing like each other... However, it's true that some Korean cinema is influenced by Hollywood. Most of it that I've seen is original... about as original as anything else. The biggest thing S.Korean cinema copies from Hollywood is "Style Over Substance". They are moving away from this trend... adding more substance. It's a good thing. S. Korean cinema has been really great the past 5 years, it's no wonder they are taking more box office. Shame on Hollywood for trying to stop a successful korean movie industry. It's not like we ever show Korean movies in theaters here.

eXcentris

The aforementionned Mr. Valenti has lobbied again and again, because of NAFTA, to have the so-called "cultural barriers" removed, especially concerning my own province of Quebec which does practice a form of cultural protectionism. I don't have a problem with that type of protectionism whatsoever. As that article points out, there is no way that any film industry can compete with the Hollywood machine in terms of $$$ for productions/marketing/etc... We don't have a quota system for American films but other measures are in place. For example, the distribution rights for foreign films to North America do not include the Province of Quebec. And I thank God for that everyday because I get to see films (at the cineplex, not at some obscure art house theater) that I woudn't otherwise be able to see since for Hollywood "distribution rights" is quite the oxymoron, i.e. unless the film is a well known award winner, they are quite content to buy the rights, shelf the film with no intention of ever releasing it, and do a remake... Well I'm sorry but when the crappy remake is released on say 10 screens around the city, then that is 10 less screens available for other more worthy films.