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Korean films take 70% market share in Oct.

The market share of Korean films is continuing to climb as the year is winding down, hitting 70.23 percent in the month of October, according to statistics compiled by the Korean Film Commission and released on its Web site.

The robust performance of Korean films at the box office was powered by local hits such as "Untold Scandal" and "Hwangsanbeol" in the absence of major Hollywood blockbusters.

Korean films' market share for the year through October stood at 49.97 percent, lending credence to the expectation that Korean films would top the 50 percent threshold for the first time in 2003.

In 2001 and 2002, the market share of Korean films through October was 43 percent and 45 percent, respectively.

The most significant factor behind the improving numbers was the box office success of Korean films such as "A Tale of Two Sisters" and "Singles" in the summer months when they have traditionally performed poorly against Hollywood blockbusters.

American films' market share dropped to 42.54 percent through October from the 48 percent recorded in the same period last year. Meanwhile, films from all the other nations of the world combined for just 7.49 percent, raising concerns about cultural diversity.

The market share of Korean films has been monitored closely this year due to the on-again and off-again controversy over the screen quota system. Protected by the system, Korean films have thrived to a degree unheard of anywhere else in the world where American films are directly imported.

Opponents of the screen quota system argue that it is no longer necessary, but film industry figures assert that such a claim does not take into account the reality of the distribution mechanism in Korea.

By Kim Jin

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