KCSC Issues Legal Sanction of 'Warning'
iPhone Ad Airs After Broadcast
The girl group NewJeans, an Apple iPhone model, performed a stage where they filmed each other with the latest iPhone model while singing their new song 'ETA' on 'SBS Inkigayo,' which received a legal sanction of 'caution' from the Korea Communications Standards Commission (hereinafter 'KCSC').
On the 4th, the KCSC held its 30th plenary meeting at the Broadcasting Hall in Mokdong, Seoul, and announced that it had decided to issue a caution to 'SBS Inkigayo' for airing NewJeans' iPhone performance on July 30 last year. The KCSC made this decision after hearing statements from related parties.
On July 30th last year, the girl group NewJeans sparked controversy over indirect advertising by holding iPhones and filming each other on the SBS Inkigayo stage. [Image source=SBS Inkigayo broadcast screen capture]
In the problematic broadcast, NewJeans performed a roughly 20-second act at the end of the stage where they filmed each other's faces with iPhones. This led to criticism that NewJeans, as iPhone models, engaged in indirect advertising through this performance. What made the issue worse was that immediately after the broadcast, an iPhone commercial featuring NewJeans with a similar production style to their stage performance was aired.
Regarding this, SBS stated, "Using a music video concept is a common directing method, so the production team accepted it without particular concern and only paid close attention to covering the exposure of mobile phones." They added, "We apologize once again for the part that caused viewers to misunderstand and will take this as an opportunity to strengthen internal controls." SBS also mentioned that the PD who directed the program was replaced after the airing of the video.
Commissioner Kang Kyung-pil pointed out, "It seems the PD in charge knew that an iPhone commercial would air immediately after the program ended, but it is unacceptable that they did not connect the two (the broadcast content and the commercial)." Chairperson Ryu Hee-rim said, "If the choreography is exactly the same as the music video and a mobile phone filming screen appears, is there any viewer who would not mistake it for an advertisement?" and urged prevention of recurrence.
The KCSC's decisions are divided into 'no problem,' administrative guidance stages such as 'suggestion' and 'recommendation,' and legal sanctions including 'caution,' 'warning,' 'program correction/modification/suspension,' 'discipline of related personnel,' and 'imposition of fines.' From the legal sanction stage, it affects point deductions during broadcaster license renewal or reapproval. According to the Broadcasting Act and regulations on broadcasting review, indirect advertising refers to exposing products unrelated to the content development or composition of the broadcast program, significantly disrupting the viewing flow.
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