South Korean actors and film directors have staged a protest opposing calls by the United States to ease a government quota on how many Hollywood films may be shown in Korean theaters.

The artists gathered in Seoul Monday, accusing the government of bowing to U.S. pressure to ease the screen quota to seal a key trade deal.

For 35 years, South Korea has tried to protect its domestic movie industry by requiring theaters to show locally produced films for at least 146 days a year.

The United States has denounced the system as an unfair trade practice that discriminates against Hollywood, and it has demanded that South Korea quickly reduce the quota.

The quota has been a major obstacle to the two countries reaching a free-investment agreement. In talks with U.S. Deputy Trade Representative Jon Huntsman in Seoul last week, South Korea reportedly agreed to ease the quota system.

Some information for this report provided by AFP and AP.

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