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By Kim Rahn
The government said Monday it will allow music producers to have a greater say in the process of rating songs. It also considers handing over censorship rights to the private sector in the long term.
Music producers will be encouraged to conduct their own monitoring of songs and their decision will be reflected on the government’s rating on “music harmful to youth,” according to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Monday.
The plans come amid criticism over the government’s music rating system, which labeled several popular songs “harmful to youth” and banned them for those under 19. Controversy has risen over whether it is appropriate to prohibit songs because they have alcohol-related lyrics, and a recent court ruling said it is not.
“After the ministry’s music rating committee conducts monitoring on songs first, associations in the music industry will review the songs the committee considers detrimental. Then the Youth Protection Committee under the ministry will make a final decision by reflecting opinions from both sides,” Vice Minister Kim Tae-seok said in a briefing in central Seoul.
The nine-member music rating committee will have more members, mainly industry figures such as music program directors and producers.
In a long-term plan, the ministry will have a separate organization take charge of song monitoring, comprising only non-governmental members.
While maintaining the current ban for those under 19, the government plans to adopt “a ban for those under 12,” following criticism that the prohibition was equally slapped on all people under 19 even though the mentality of elementary schoolchildren is much different from that of high school students.
“In this way, songs with lyrics harmful to younger children, like elementary schoolchildren, will be subjected to the ban, and those aged between 12 and 18 will be allowed to listen to them. As a result, the rating criteria for those between 12 and 18 will be eased,” Kim said.
In response to the criticism that the committee bans all songs that contain references to alcohol or cigarettes, the ministry will prepare more detailed guidelines on censoring.
“On expressions involving alcohol and cigarettes, we’ll limit the ban only to songs directly encouraging listeners to drink or smoke,” the vice minister said.
The controversy over the monitoring rose early this month after the committee designated several K-pop songs as “harmful” because of alcohol-related lyrics, such as Beast’s “Day When It Rains” and 2PM’s “Hands Up.”
Cover stickers prohibiting sales to those under 19 were put on the albums, and the songs can be broadcast only at night.
rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr
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