'Age Restrictions and Warning Labels' Recommended
Ministry of Health and Welfare Strengthens YouTube Alcohol Content Guidelines
Recently, as 'drinking entertainment' centered on celebrities' drinking and drunken talks has been flooding YouTube and other platforms, raising concerns that it may promote and glamorize drinking culture, the government has revised the 'Media Drinking Scene Guidelines.'
The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Health Promotion Institute announced on the 29th that they have revised the 'Media Drinking Scene Guidelines' by adding two items to the existing 10, making a total of 12 items.
The newly added items are ▲ Content that excessively highlights or glamorizes drinking behavior should minimize accessibility to children and adolescents through age restrictions, etc., and ▲ Warning messages should be used to inform about the harmfulness of drinking.
An official from the Ministry of Health and Welfare said, "The new guidelines were created considering YouTube and online video services (OTT). Drinking scenes appear frequently on YouTube, but since they cannot be regulated by law, the revision was made to encourage voluntary restraint."
Recently, drinking entertainment programs hosted by famous celebrities or influencers have been continuously increasing on YouTube and OTT platforms.
Representative drinking entertainment programs gaining popularity based on YouTube include Shin Dong-yeop's ‘Jjanhan Hyung’, Lee Young-ji's ‘Charin Geon Jwippuldo Eopjiman’, Jo Hyun-ah's ‘Mokyoil Bam’, and Sung Si-kyung's ‘Meogeultende’. These drinking broadcasts openly show celebrities intoxicated, garnering high view counts.
The problem lies in the excessive exposure to drinking scenes promoting drinking culture and potentially causing distorted perceptions, such as adolescents positively recognizing and imitating drinking. Especially in the case of YouTube, the lack of viewing age restrictions has been pointed out as a bigger issue.
Reflecting these concerns, the government revised the media guidelines applicable to YouTube and OTT as well. However, the revised guidelines are not mandatory but rely on voluntary regulation.
Therefore, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Health Promotion Institute plan to collaborate with broadcasters, influencer and creator agencies, and content production-related associations to minimize drinking scenes from the content production stage using the guidelines in the future.
The revised guidelines will be officially announced at the 'Drinking Harm Prevention Month' commemorative event held on the 30th at the Baekbeom Kim Koo Memorial Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
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