"Celebrity Extreme Choices, Blaming Ghosts?"... KBS Children's Program Faces Legal Sanctions

"Using Personal Tragedies Linked to Ghosts as Entertainment Material Is Inappropriate"

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] A children's program containing content that celebrities' extreme choices were caused by many vengeful spirits has been legally sanctioned.

The Broadcasting and Communications Review Committee's Broadcasting Review Subcommittee recently held a meeting and unanimously decided to issue a 'warning' sanction for the KBS Kids channel's 'Witch's Room' broadcast on August 27.

The program is a children's show introducing legends, ghost stories, and mysteries. The problematic episode introduced ghost stories related to Jayuro and included a shaman's statement claiming that the successive extreme choices of certain celebrities were caused by vengeful spirits.

In this regard, a complaint was filed stating that broadcasting excessive-level ghost stories for viewers aged 12 and over was inappropriate. The applicable regulations are Article 41 (Unscientific Content) and Article 44 (Protection of Children and Youth Viewers) of the Broadcasting Review Regulations.

Yoon Sung-ok, a member of the review committee, pointed out, "Extreme choices by celebrities due to malicious comments are a social issue and a personal tragedy," adding, "It is highly inappropriate to link such matters with ghosts and use them as entertainment material."