Women's groups call for makeover show to be axed

/ Screen capture from Youtube

By Kim Bo-eun

Women’s organizations have taken action to stop a cable channel makeover show from being aired in Korea, which is known for its notoriously high plastic surgery rate.

Organizations including the Seoul YWCA, Korean Women's Environmental Network and Korean Women's Association United applied for the injunction at the Seoul Central District Court, Friday, to have the broadcasting of cable channel tvN's makeover program "Let Me In" banned.

They said they had been publicizing the dangers of the makeover program, and had asked the producer CJ E&M to stop airing the program.

But the show had continued, and applicants were being sought for the next season.

In June when the program began its fifth season, the groups hosted press conferences, forums and campaigns calling for the program to be taken off air because it was a "one-hour advertisement for cosmetic surgery" and a "program promoting surgery."

The organizations also said there was a problem with the Korea Communications Commission's recent revision of regulations on sponsorship notices.

The revision states that programs cannot advertise clinics but can state certain procedures. This provided greater advertising opportunities for the program, promoting the advertisement of clinics, they said.

The show has been blasted for making cosmetic surgery appear as the solution to all problems in life.

TV personality Yoo Byung-jae made a satirical reference to the show in a Facebook post last month. Titled "The great wisdom acquired through Let Me In," it said, "If I want to become beautiful, I get surgery, if I am verbally abused by family members, I get surgery, if my husband is violent, I get surgery, if there is conflict between employees and management, I get surgery, if I am concerned about what to make for dinner, I get surgery." It got 93,000 likes.