By Hwang Jang-jin Staff reporter
(48)The government is planning to provide various kinds of support totaling more than 10 billion won (about $1.1 billion) to develop the cartoon and animation industry into one of the nation's strategic enterprises in the 21st century.
The Ministry of Culture and Sports announced the ``Cartoon and Animation Industry Promotion Plan'' Friday which detailed the government's comprehensive program to expand production facilities, cultivate professional manpower and boost local production of high-quality cartoons and animations.
(49)Under the program, the government will establish an animation production center with high-tech equipment within the Seoul Film Studio Complex which is under construction in Namyangju, Kyonggi Province. The ministry will also support provincial governments in setting up cartoon and animation information centers. Seoul and Chunchon city governments are currently building such information centers in cooperation with the central government.
In an effort to stimulate the production of local cartoons and animations, the government will promote the use of domestic productions in publications and on TV. Currently 6.4 percent of TV animations are Korean made, while the remainder is made up of foreign productions. The government will raise the proportions to 30 percent by 1998 and 50 percent by 1999.
(50)The ministry is also consulting with cartoon magazine publishers to feature more Korean-made cartoons which on the average occupy less than half of the columns in publications. Direct financial backing to local production will be increased. The ministry will offer total of 50 million won yearly to 20 distinguished Korean cartoons which will be selected by the ministry. And the Korean Motion Picture Promotion Fund will increase the allocation of funds to support the animation field.
In addition new awards will be given to cartoons and animations which are in line with the government's policy. While increasing prize money for the Korean Cartoon Awards, the government starting next year will set up a Cartoon of the Month award and introduce prizes for animations from film festivals including Grand Bell Awards and a Korean Culture and Arts Awards. And animations participating in foreign film festivals will receive financial backing from the government.
(51)To cultivate new talent, the ministry plans to help establish more educational facilities. Cartoon and animation courses are now running at four universities and six junior colleges. The Ministry of Culture and Sports will increase the number of such schools with the cooperation of the Ministry of Education and support the establishment of cartoon high schools and private institutes.
On the whole, cartoonists and animators welcomed the government initiatives, but they claim the efforts to promote free expression should come first. ``The old-fashioned administrative regulations on cartoons should be abolished,'' said Kwon Young-sup, chairman of the Korean Cartoonists Association, referring to the government move against ``obscene and violent'' cartoons which went so much as to prosecute 10 artists in August.
``Action is more important than planning. Despite repeated promises by the government for the past years, there have been little noticeable improvement to support the industry,'' he also points out.