Thousands of actors, actresses, and move directors plan to hold a rally Wednesday in protest of the government's plan to lift restrictions on screening of imported films.

Organizers say about three thousand protesters will gather in downtown Seoul for "the rally to defend the screen quota."

Under the current quota system, domestic theaters are required to show Korean movies at least 40 percent of their screening days. The regulations are aimed at protecting the local movie industry from competition from overseas, mostly from Hollywood blockbusters.

However, the U.S. has demanded the quota be lowered to 20 percent and eventually scrapped completely as a precondition to signing a bilateral investment treatment.

Last month, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said it would scale down the screen quota system, reversing its earlier position against such an idea.

The then Culture and Tourism Minister Lee Chang-dong said it is time to consider a reduction in the screen quota "for the future of the local film industry."