K-Pop and Korean Film Industry Gets New Laws for Protection of Minors and Idols

The K-Pop industry is full of "idols," young or teenaged performers who perform smash pop hits right alongside their older cohorts/competition. The prominence of the youth stars in the scene has raised many wary questions from the West (who, you know, totally have young performers under control), and the Korean government has acted, releasing a law to monitor how and when minors perform.

Two portions of the new law will affect pop performers particularly. One, performers under the age of 15 won't be able to work more than 35 hours, and those between 15-18 can't work more than 40 hours. The trouble comes in defining "work." Does doing publicity count? Does being present at a concert venue prior to going onstage count? The law does allow that "exceptions can be made for projects requiring long-distance travel."

Minors will also be barred from practicing their craft between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. That statute can be pushed aside if parental permission is granted however (because parents have always been proven to know what's best for their star child's health).

The other facet of the law effecting musicians is the section preventing minors from wearing skimpy outfits or doing suggestive dance routines. That section leaves the bar for too much innuendo undefined, which could create problems. Just look at it this way: Britney Spears' "...Baby One More Time" would be illegal under similar laws. Is it protecting the youth or damaging free speech?

The strength or weaknesses of the law aside, the biggest trouble will be determining when it can be applied. Can a K-Pop act touring in the United States be prosecuted under Korean law if its members are too sexual onstage? Can they work more hours while abroad?

South Korea doesn't necessarily need to worry about these questions thanks to the large amount of recording and filming that happens within national borders. The Korean film industry actually spurred debate over protection laws when Korean film A Girl At My Door premiered at Cannes. Kim Saeron, its 14 y.o. star, was involved in several scenes featuring unwilling sexual behavior, another item banned under the new law.

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K-Pop