Criticism of Child Exploitation Hidden Behind Sexual Objectification
MBN: "Review Underway"
Production Company: "Proceeding as Planned"
The MBN audition program 'UNDER15,' where female children and adolescents under 15 compete to become idol singers, has been embroiled in criticism over the sexual exploitation of minors and child abuse.
Promotional photos released by UNDER15 ahead of its premiere on the 31st of this month show elementary school girl participants with barcodes attached below them. Most of them are adorned with heavy makeup and flashy hairstyles, and some wear outfits that expose their shoulders and waists. A total of 59 participants aged 8 to 15 (born between 2009 and 2016) are competing, including five who are only eight years old (born in 2016).
Civic groups have called for the suspension of the UNDER15 broadcast, pointing out the commodification of children and adolescents. The Citizens' Coalition for Democratic Media (MinEonRyeon) issued a statement on the 21st, saying, "Publicly encouraging competition among young children, imposing excessive physical and mental burdens, and sexual objectification are clear acts of child abuse," and criticized, "This is a serious human rights issue that must be discussed at a societal level, beyond a mere broadcasting program controversy."
The Korean Women’s Political Network stated on the 20th, "Using terms like prodigy, debut, and success to make female children mistakenly perceive sexual objectification as positive, hiding the inherent meaning of sexual objectification, and mobilizing them in the program as if it were a wonderful challenge for their future is child labor exploitation and sexual exploitation." They added, "The production company should prioritize considering the emotional and physical impacts on the participants and the negative effects the program’s concept may have on perceptions of children."
Teachers have also taken action. On the 21st, the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (JeonGyoJo) said, "Female children are among the most vulnerable in a South Korean society that is misogynistic and child-hating," and pointed out, "We need to examine whether the human rights of child and female participants are properly guaranteed throughout the entertainment industry." They demanded ▲ the complete withdrawal of MBN’s broadcast plans ▲ the establishment of sexual exploitation standards by the Korea Communications Standards Commission ▲ and a full investigation into human rights violations in the entertainment industry.
JeonGyoJo emphasized, "The guise of discovering K-pop prodigies is even more malicious as it numbs the guilt of dissecting and evaluating female children’s appearances and abilities one by one."
There are also calls for institutional mechanisms to monitor TV programs. The Korean Women’s Political Network urged, "Viewers may accept the singing and dancing skills of girls through 'dazzling multimedia effects and narratives' without recognizing them as abuse or exploitation," and called for "urgent government-level regulations on broadcast content that sexually objectifies children."
Facing mounting criticism, MBN stated, "We take the concerns from all sectors of society seriously," and added, "We will comprehensively review the program’s detailed content as well as the decision to air it."
However, the production company expressed a different stance. CREA Studio held an emergency press conference on the 25th, announcing plans to release some footage of the broadcast. The production company explained, "Participants applied with confirmation of their willingness to participate and with guardian consent, and costumes and styling were also discussed mutually with the participants’ guardians." They continued, "We are confident that you will see the passion of the young participants and the sincerity of the production team, and we ask you to watch the footage and evaluate it."
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