A Study on International Trade Negotiations of Korea on Motion Picture Services

Abstract

Different perspectives on whether to view motion picture services as objects of international trade or cultural protection has been treated as an significant issue in international trade negotiations. The position of the United States that motion picture services should be included in the target of trade liberalization and the European Union's (EU) position that movie services should be excluded from the object of international trade negotiations has slowed the progress of international trade negotiations in this area, and has been an important point of controversy that has caused conflicts between trading partners.

This study examines the strategic characteristics of Korea's international trade negotiations by exploring what negotiation results Korea has drawn out in a series of representative international trade negotiations on motion picture services. In particular, it focuses on how the perspective on motion picture services as an object of free trade and the perspective as an object of cultural protection has been dealt in the international trade negotiations of Korea.

For this purpose, this study analyzes the cases of GATS (General Agreement on Trade in Services) and DDA (Doha Development Agenda) as the multilateral trade negotiations as well as KORUS FTA, Korea-EU FTA and Korea-China FTA as the bilateral trade negotiations. In analyzing the features of international trade negotiations of Korea on motion picture services through the case study, the factors such as the difference of competitiveness of film industry between two Parties, the benefits of entry into the other country, and the differences in perspective of each country on motion picture services are considered in analyzing the negotiation strategies and negotiation results of Korea.

As a result of the analysis, Korea has used the blending of the trade liberalization viewpoint and the cultural protectionism viewpoint in the international trade negotiations on the motion picture services as a negotiation strategy. While securing the authority to protect the domestic film industry and cultural identity by the measure of the screen quota, it actively has liberalized the market of film production and distribution services to trading partners. In addition, Korea has utilized the international film co-production reflected in the FTAs as a major means of both promoting Korean filmsentry into foreign markets and cultural cooperation with trading partners.