Controversy Intensifies Over Teaser Ahead of First Broadcast on the 31st
MBN, the broadcaster of the girl group audition program 'Under 15,' which was heavily criticized for 'child sexual exploitation' and 'child abuse' after boldly promoting that it only accepts applicants under the age of 15, announced that it will "completely reconsider the airing and other aspects."
On the 21st, MBN released a statement saying, "We take the concerns from various sectors of our society seriously," and added, "We will thoroughly review the program's detailed content as well as the decision to air it, and will announce the company's position soon."
The program, titled 'Under 15 K-pop Discovery Generation Change Audition,' only accepted girls aged 15 and under. It attracted attention as a new program from Crea Studio, founded by PD Seo Hye-jin, who previously produced 'Miss Trot' and 'Mr. Trot.'
However, after the teaser was released, controversy arose over the fact that only young students in middle school or younger were gathered to compete for a girl group debut, be exposed to the media, and be evaluated.
According to the production team, 59 prodigies selected regardless of race, nationality, or genre from girls under 15 years old in over 70 countries worldwide participated. The teaser video showed the applicants' ages, featured performances in revealing costumes, and included barcode designs along with the applicants' profiles on social networking services (SNS). This led to allegations of sexual exploitation of minors.
The Korean Women’s Political Network, a nonprofit organization for women's political empowerment, issued a statement on the 20th demanding the cancellation of the broadcast of 'Under 15' for sexualizing children. They pointed out, "In the promotional video released through SNS, a minor performs in revealing outfits such as crop tops with expressions sexually appealing like adult girl groups," and added, "Instead of showcasing their own individuality and talents, children performing according to adult gazes and desires cannot be considered an opportunity to express their rights to have their talents respected."
The Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) also released a statement on the 21st demanding the withdrawal of the broadcast, saying, "We need to reflect on whether the human rights of child and female performers are properly guaranteed throughout the entertainment industry." The KTU added, "The guise of 'discovering K-pop prodigies' in Under 15 numbs the guilt of scrutinizing and evaluating the appearances and abilities of young female children one by one, making it even more malicious."
The 'Under 15' production team emphasized twice, "We sincerely hope that the sweat and effort poured in by the participants for as long as over six months will not be in vain."
Crea Studio explained, "All participants applied to the program after confirming their willingness to participate and obtaining consent from their guardians, and costumes and styling were decided through active discussions with the participants' guardians." They continued, "At a time when the first broadcast has not yet been released, various controversies have arisen, causing severe shock and trauma to the young participants and their guardians," and stated, "We sincerely hope that the sweat and effort poured in by the participants for as long as over six months will not be in vain." Crea Studio has released part of episode 1 on their YouTube channel as of the 22nd.
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