Controversy Over Child Sexualization in 'Under Fifteen' Leads to Show Cancellation

At the 'Under Fifteen' emergency briefing held on the 25th at the Stanford Hotel in Mapo-gu, Seoul, CEO Seo Hye-jin (from left), CEO Hwang In-young, and PD Yong Seok-in attended. Photo by Yonhap News

The audition program 'Under Fifteen,' embroiled in controversy over the sexual exploitation of minors and child abuse, has ultimately been canceled by MBN.

On the 28th, the production team of 'Under Fifteen' stated in a press release, "After much deliberation and meetings, we have decided that canceling the scheduled broadcast on March 31 and focusing on protecting the participants and reorganizing is the best course of action." They added, "We will continue to produce the program in a way that does not damage the essence of the show or the sincerity of the participants."

The comprehensive programming channel MBN also issued a statement confirming, "We have confirmed the production company Creastudio's decision to cancel the broadcast of 'Under Fifteen,'" thereby verifying the cancellation of the scheduling.

MBN further stated, "Regardless of this cancellation, we will continue to maintain a cooperative relationship with Creastudio moving forward."

'Under Fifteen' was an audition program targeting children and adolescents aged 15 and under, produced with the goal of nurturing a 5th generation K-pop girl group, and was scheduled to premiere on the 31st of this month.

The program featured 59 participants aged 8 to 15 (born between 2009 and 2016), and promotional materials released ahead of the broadcast showed the participants adorned with heavy makeup and elaborate hairstyles. Some wore outfits that exposed their shoulders and waists.

Civil society groups such as the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, the Elementary School Teachers’ Union, and the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union criticized the sexual commercialization of children and adolescents and urged the withdrawal of 'Under Fifteen' from airing.

In response, the production team held a press conference explaining, "We wanted to open doors of opportunity for the Alpha generation," claiming that some concerns were misunderstandings. However, civic groups pointed out, "They are avoiding and distorting criticism of child sexual commercialization by framing the program’s cancellation as trampling on children’s dreams."