Broadcasting Commission Responds to Creas Studio's Statements on 'Under Fifteen'

The Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) has issued a rebuttal to comments made by Seo Hye-jin, the CEO of Creas Studio, regarding the new MBN variety show 'Under Fifteen' (언더피프틴). In an official press release on March 25, the KCSC clarified Seo's remarks made during an emergency production briefing for the show.

Seo stated that, unlike MBN's commitment to a 'full review,' Creas Studio urged viewers to evaluate the teaser video themselves, indicating a desire to proceed with the broadcast. He remarked, 'We do not have differing opinions from MBN. We have discussed this, and while MBN is a platform, they feel a sense of responsibility, which is why they expressed the need for a review.'

He further explained that two weeks prior, the entire production team had submitted the complete first episode to the KCSC for review, and since there were no issues identified internally, they decided to release the edited version on YouTube to dispel any controversy.

However, the KCSC responded by stating, 'According to Article 21 of the Act on the Establishment and Operation of the Korea Communications Commission and Article 32 of the Broadcasting Act, we conduct post-broadcast reviews to determine whether there are any violations of the review regulations.' They emphasized that they had not received the complete program prior to its airing and that claims of having reviewed it for compliance were inaccurate.

The KCSC also expressed strong objections to Creas Studio's misleading statements made in a public forum.

Meanwhile, 'Under Fifteen' is a talent discovery program aimed at finding K-POP prodigies under the age of 15, featuring 59 girls from over 70 countries. The show is set to premiere on March 31, but concerns have arisen regarding the potential sexualization of minors following the release of its teaser and promotional materials, prompting the emergency briefing for clarification.