The Korean movie industry enjoyed its glory days during the 1990s. A number of new milestones were set and many colorful and significant cinematic achievements were made. In that decade Korean filmmakers and actors began to win global attention and prestigious awards at international film festivals.Then in the late 1990s the Korean film industry came to face a critical challenge. Discussions about reducing screen quotas for Korean films was launched in 1998 and the number of domestic film productions plunged sharply due to the financial crisis. But the release of spy action film "Shiri" in 1999 galvanized the Korean film industry, becoming the nation's first blockbuster success. Now in the early part of the 21st century Korea is seeing a series of record-breaking domestic movies easily topping the ten-million mark in ticket sales and standing tall in the international cinematic stage as a leading maker of quality films.