[Focus] Why Is the Glorification of Sexual Exploitation AV Featuring 'Gender + Characters' a Serious Issue?

Jung Hyomin and Kim Insik PD Interview

Netflix Variety Show 'Seong+Inmul'
Controversy Over Glorification of Violent and Exploitative AV
Criticism of OTT Variety Show Produced Without Restrictions
Unrepentant Production Team's Explanation Backfires

"I think AV (Adult Video) satisfies many people's sexual desires and helps reduce sex crime rates."

A Japanese female AV actress who appeared on the Netflix original variety show 'Seong+Inmul' said this. There is a consensus that the biggest problem lies with the production team who aired this statement, which is close to a thoughtless remark lacking fundamental awareness, without any editing. Why is 'Seong+Inmul' being criticized as a 'problematic work'?

'Seong+Inmul,' created by PDs Jeong Hyomin and Kim Insik, was released on the online video service (OTT) Netflix on the 25th of last month. It was promoted as a program where broadcaster Shin Dongyeop and singer Sung Si-kyung meet and explore people involved in sex and the adult culture industry.

'Seong+Inmul' faced fierce criticism even before its release. Issues such as coercion of adult video (AV) performers to engage in sexual acts emerged as social problems, and there were various voices criticizing the lack of consideration for human rights and other concerns, pointing out that the planning failed to take these into account.

There is no end to the criticisms of 'Seong+Inmul.' There were even strong calls for broadcaster Shin Dongyeop, the host of SBS's 'Animal Farm,' to step down, and the production team apologized, saying "We are sorry to Shin Dongyeop." In fact, the ones who should be apologizing are not Shin Dongyeop.

PDs Jeong Hyomin and Kim Insik recently met with Asia Economy at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, to respond to the flood of criticism and controversy surrounding 'Seong+Inmul.' Although the two PDs seemed to have carefully reviewed viewers' reactions, they appeared unable to grasp the essence of the problem. It seemed as if they thought the controversy was simply because the show dealt with sex as a subject and featured Japanese AV actresses. The production team's disheartening responses drew sighs from many.

'Seong+Person' stills [Photo by Netflix]

Faced with a barrage of questions from the press, the production team showed clear signs of being flustered. They seemed unprepared for such intense criticism. This is because serious considerations that should have been repeated during the planning stage months ago were omitted. The attitude of dismissing it lightly as just a sex comedy made with a famous MC was pointed out as problematic. There are also strong voices criticizing the platform for carelessly producing a 'mass-produced' variety show without any restrictions or verification considering social atmosphere.

The production team, who were expected to provide meaningful answers, only repeated the disappointing statement, "We wanted to create a variety show about sex, which is universal, on the global OTT Netflix." Below are some of the major criticisms from viewers online summarized.

Criticism of Female Sexual Objectification: Why Did They Cover AV?

The production team of 'Seong+Inmul' intended to lightly approach 19+ comedy and sex comedy as variety content. The most important point in this process is that women should not be sexualized and consumed as material for laughter. This is more important than whether AV is illegal in Korea and legal in Japan.

PD Jeong Hyomin said, "We tried to accept such opinions" and "I thought we should approach the topic carefully when handling the item." He continued, "We thought a lot about how to handle AV. AV holds a significant position in the Japanese entertainment industry. Without covering AV, we shouldn't cover Japan, and we tried to cover it comprehensively."

"We wanted to fully understand how much weight AV holds in the market and its potential. It was also interesting that it is not consumed only from a male perspective. Japan is a country where adults enjoy and appreciate it."

The statement "AV lowers sex crime rates" in the trailer released before 'Seong+Inmul' sparked major controversy on social media. Regarding this, PD Jeong gave a somewhat irrelevant and odd answer.

"It is unfortunate when content is consumed as 'clips' (edited images online) before the full release in variety shows. We tried to organize as much as possible why AV actresses chose their work, what their joys and pains were. We did not expect it to be consumed as clips."

Gender Issues and Values? Production Team Is Clueless

Jung Hyomin (left) and Kim Insik PD
[Photo by Netflix]

Why did they handle sex as a variety show topic? PD Jeong Hyomin said, "Everyone has different standards for thinking about sex. It was a field we definitely wanted to challenge on the global platform Netflix."

The production team mentioned their previous work 'Witch Hunt,' saying, "We wanted to include parts that were not in existing media but were being organized," and "Ultimately, we are moving toward good discourse overall." When asked specifically what "good discourse" meant, they gave a vague answer.

"Opinions are divided by gender. Communities are split into male-dominated and female-dominated, and we thought a lot about this. After the content was released and reviewed, age and gender also influenced opinions, but more than that, evaluations differed based on individual values and acceptance levels. While talking, rather than hating by saying 'different' or 'wrong,' we hoped to create a space where adults could find some consensus."

The essence of the problem with 'Seong+Inmul' is neither gender conflict nor individual values. The most persuasive point is that it is a moral issue related to sexism. However, the production team showed a disappointing attitude by dismissing the essence as merely "individual values." We asked again about this. How do they respond to viewers raising moral concerns?

PD Jeong said, "When dealing with 19+ content, concerns are natural," comparing it to drinking, movies, and dramas. "We continuously consider how far to go. In Europe, the legal drinking age is 14-16, in Korea it is 19, in Japan 20, and in the US 21. The extent to which drinking is allowed in parks also varies by country. Considering this, I thought moral criticism and legal judgments about illegality and legality could differ culturally. In that context, we cautiously sought an acceptable level."

Criticism of Glorifying the AV Industry Maintained by Exploitative Methods

'Seong+Person' stills [Photo by Netflix]

The production team explained that they covered the AV industry because it cannot be discussed separately from the Japanese entertainment industry. We asked if they considered the atmosphere where the industry is criticized for objectifying women and being maintained through violent and exploitative methods.

"We tried to include concerns about that. But in variety shows, what we could do was limited to the publicly available content. We acknowledge the criticism asking if the industry is exploitative and why we didn't question it. However, from the perspective of respecting people who work in sex as a profession, we thought questioning it might be rude. The words of a female actress who wanted to show AV not as fantasy but reality might be taboo in that industry. It breaks the fantasy. Please see our effort as trying to include the concerns of people working in the industry within the range acceptable for variety shows."

Debates about legal and social acceptance continued. PD Jeong said, "Producing and distributing AV in Korea falls into the illegal domain, but I understand that individuals watching it is not illegal." He emphasized, "In Japan, production is legal, and there are quite a few countries worldwide where production is legal."

Regarding AV, PD Kim Insik said, "There are different legal frameworks in Korea and Japan. Whether it is classified as obscene material can depend on social norms or court judgments." He added, "Rather than discussing whether all Japanese AV is legal or illegal in Korea, it is more appropriate to talk about distribution when it is classified as obscene material."

Is OTT Variety Without Restrictions Okay?

We asked the production team to explain the entire process from planning to production of 'Seong+Inmul.' PD Jeong Hyomin said, "It started one and a half years ago," and "I left a broadcasting company, established a production company, and started talking with Netflix representatives during this process."

"Right after establishing the production company (Studio Modak), I mentioned wanting to globally cover sex as a subject and explore different cultures. That idea was put aside, and we first did Netflix's variety show 'Korea Number One.' During that process, Netflix proposed preparing a new mid-form variety show. Hearing that, I recalled the idea from one and a half years ago. I thought it couldn't be covered in the existing variety show format of 70-100 minutes and 12 episodes, but if structured as 20-30 minute episodes by country, it could be complete. I wanted to convey stories about sex in Korea and other diverse countries. Casting, scouting, filming, and editing proceeded quickly."

'Seong+Person' stills [Photo by Netflix]

We asked about the guidelines used during communication with Netflix. When asked how they coordinated and created 'Seong+Inmul,' PD Jeong replied, "We communicated frequently and aligned our thoughts." He emphasized, "We shared and discussed while selecting countries and items, and there were no problems in the communication process."

PD Kim Insik said, "As a relatively junior PD, when I was at a broadcasting station, certain variety shows were repeatedly produced, but there are many topics in the world. I hope many topics are recognized and enjoyed diversely. There may be many opinions about the topic of sex, but some people can accept it pleasantly and see it as variety entertainment."