Culture Ministry and Film Industry Hold First Public-Private Council Meeting... Full-Scale Discussions on Theater-OTT Coexistence Begin
Discussion on Coexistence Measures for Theaters and OTT, Screen Quota System
"Voluntary Agreement over Regulation"... Targeting Holdback Agreement in August
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Film Council announced that the first meeting of the "Public-Private Council for Improving the Distribution Structure of Korean Films" will be held at 2 p.m. on May 29, 2026, at "Scene One," the Planning and Development Support Center of the Korean Film Council in Jung-gu, Seoul.
The public-private council was launched under government leadership to normalize the profit structure of Korean films in the rapidly changing industry landscape and to create a mutually beneficial ecosystem among distribution platforms such as theaters and online video services (OTT).
The meeting will be attended by Minister Choi Hwi-young of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, along with 22 key decision-makers involved in all stages of film distribution, including film production, distribution, exhibition, TVOD (transactional video on demand), and SVOD (subscription video on demand), to discuss current issues in the film industry.
The Ministry plans to use this public-private council to build a sustainable ecosystem through voluntary agreements within the film industry, rather than regulation. Going forward, the council will sequentially discuss matters such as the signing of a voluntary agreement on an appropriate holdback period (the window between a film's theatrical release and its availability on secondary markets) to maximize film revenues, as well as industry requests to improve the exhibition environment, including the introduction of a screen quota system.
Based on the opinions collected from the film industry and platforms at the first meeting, the Ministry and the Korean Film Council plan to circulate a draft agreement for review and to promptly convene a second meeting to continue discussions at a swift pace. Over the next two months, they will coordinate differing opinions to produce a final agreement, with the goal of signing a "Voluntary Holdback Agreement for the Coexistence of Korean Films" in August 2026.
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Minister Choi Hwi-young stated, "With key figures leading the Korean film industry gathered in one place, I hope for honest and productive discussions that go beyond individual interests to achieve sustainable growth and a balanced profit structure for Korean cinema. We will actively facilitate discussions to develop a holdback agreement that maximizes industry profits while minimizing side effects by closely communicating and coordinating among stakeholders and appropriately reflecting market realities."
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