Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Holds Briefing Ahead of OTT Self-Rating Implementation

Introduction to Designation Criteria, Procedures, and Training for Rating Classification Operators

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Media Rating Board will hold an information session ahead of the implementation of the OTT self-rating classification system on the 28th of next month. On the 28th at 2 p.m., the session will be held in Conference Room 307 at COEX, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, targeting OTT platform service providers, cable TV operators, satellite broadcasters, and Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) operators to provide information on the system and policies.

The self-rating classification system is a framework established under last year's amendment to the "Act on the Promotion of Movies and Video Works," allowing the industry to classify ratings independently. Going forward, providers can distribute online video content at their preferred timing without waiting for the Korea Media Rating Board's classification results. The information session will introduce the designation criteria, procedures, and training plans for self-rating classification providers, post-management measures for related video content, and system development plans. A Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism official stated, "We plan to provide detailed guidance on the designation criteria for self-rating classification providers and this year's designation review schedule, which are the most frequently asked questions by OTT providers."

The Ministry and the Korea Media Rating Board have met several times with major OTT industry players to gather diverse opinions. They have also explored measures to address concerns related to youth protection, which may become vulnerable, through dialogues with youth and parent organizations.