New K-pop audition show under fire for allegedly exploiting minors

By Pyo Kyung-min

An upcoming K-pop audition show has drawn criticism from fans worldwide, with many condemning its premise of recruiting girls — all under the age of 15 — to compete for a spot in a new idol group. Experts argue the show exposes minors to potential exploitation and sexualization under the guise of entertainment.

The program under fire, broadcaster MBN's "UNDER15," features 59 young girls born after 2009 as contestants, labeling itself as the "world's first K-pop prodigy discovery project for contestants under 15."

The show is spearheaded by Seo Hye-jin, CEO of Crea Studio, known for producing the popular trot show franchises, "Miss Trot" and "Mister Trot."

"We are aiming to select members who can lead the K-pop scene, chosen directly by our viewers," Seo reportedly said while announcing the show's launch. "I might get criticized for saying this, but our goal is to create an 'underage BLACKPINK.'"

If Seo's remarks weren't enough, teaser videos and promotional images for the show display the young contestants wearing heavy stage makeup and revealing outfits. Footage also captured them striking mature poses and performing choreography to background music containing explicit English lyrics.

The show includes contestants as young as 8 years old, with the five youngest born in 2016.

Industry, public concerns

News of the program's launch quickly drew strong condemnation on social media, where international users voiced concerns over the show's grooming of minors.

"A survival show called 'UNDER15' is already wild in the first place … I hope nobody watches or supports this show because ain't no way this exists!" one user on X, formerly Twitter, wrote.

Another user condemned the show, calling it a "show run by pedos for pedos."

The backlash was equally intense in Korea, fueled by the coinciding scandal surrounding actor Kim Soo-hyun, who has been accused of grooming the late actress Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor. The timing of the two scandals worsened public concern about the apparently nonexistent protection of underage performers in "UNDER15."

Blasting both the show's producers and the contestants' parents, translated comments included: "Producers and parents should both come to their senses," "This is straightup harmful content from start to finish" and even "What is this country on right now? This is pure insanity."

Seemingly mindful of the criticisms, the show's producers have disabled the comment sections on related videos uploaded to YouTube.

Legal loopholes

Under Korea's Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act, minors under 15 can work a maximum of 35 hours per week in entertainment and cannot perform between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

However, Korea lacks specific regulations preventing the sexualization of minors in media, a stark contrast to laws in other countries. The United States prohibits the sexual depiction of minors under 18 in media and online under child protection laws. The United Kingdom, France and China enforce similar restrictions.

Perceptions of pedophiles are much less forgiving overseas. The American Psychiatric Association classifies pedophilic disorder as a mental illness.

While awareness of child protection has grown in Korea, critics have suggested that the lasting influence of the country's patriarchal culture has hindered the public's recognition of sex crimes involving children, contributing to a more lenient attitude toward pedophilia.

As of now, the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) has the sole authority to review and regulate content on a case-by-case basis. With the show scheduled to premiere on March 31, many have voiced that the KCSC should intervene and prevent "UNDER15" from airing.

Culture critic Kim Hern-sik contrasted Korea's treatment of young entertainers with other countries through a contributed article for a local media outlet.

"In the U.K. and Germany, child entertainers are guaranteed education, health and sleep rights. In the U.S., performers and guardians must pass a labor review process. School principals must approve their participation and parents, teachers and nurses must be present on set," Kim noted.

Kim pointed to a darker reality of the K-pop scene, stressing that the whole trainee system "developed during a period where child rights were often ignored." He emphasized that if the K-pop industry wishes to sustain its global influence, it must go through a rigorous self-assessment over how it treats children.

"Korea is the only country systematically training minors as part of entertainment business strategies. If the industry is to continue this practice, it must resolve fundamental human rights issues. Failure to do so will eventually limit K-pop's brand value," Kim said.

"If K-pop, a genre centered on youth, is built on an unfair system, it could easily become the target of global boycotts in the future."