Court Rules TVXQ Album Not Harmful to Youth

TVXQ, a top idol group

By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter

TVXQ, a top idol group, will be able to sell its fourth album, ``Mirotic,’’ to minors, following a court ruling that ordered the government to scrap its decision to designate the album as ``harmful material for youth.’’

The Seoul Administrative Court, Wednesday, ruled in favor of SM Entertainment, TVXQ’s agency, which filed the suit against the health, welfare and family affairs minister to annul the harmful album designation.

``We acknowledge that the lyrics concerned, including `You want me, you give yourself up to me, you’re mad at me’ and `I got you under my skin,’ may imply sexual acts, but they did not describe sexual acts or feelings excessively to the level that can stimulate youths’ sexual desire,’’ the court said.

``Even though we acknowledge that the young are more sensitive to sexual stimuli and less able to control sexual urges, the lyrics neither encouraged youth to have sex nor described women as object for sex,’’ it said.

In November, the Youth Protection Committee, under the ministry, decided that the song was harmful to youth because of the ``erotic’’ lyrics. The boy group had to change some of the lyrics when singing on stages and put stickers on CDs indicating the album was banned from sale to those under 19.

But the belated sales ban was ineffective, as the designation came about two months after the album’s release.

The committee said it will decide whether to appeal or not in the middle of this month.

rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr