Under Fifteen protects and reorganizes cast members who were eventually canceled due to controversy over the commercialization of children's sex
Mar 28, 2025
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On the 28th 'Underpiptin' production team decided that the best way would be to cancel the scheduled March 31 broadcast schedule and to protect and reorganize the cast," he said in a statement.
Then "It is not organized by MBN. In the future, we will make sure that the nature of the program and the sincerity of the participants are not damaged" he said.
MBN, which was responsible for the programming of "Underpiptin", confirmed the production company Crea Studio's position to cancel the broadcast for "Underpiptin"Unless of the cancellation of this broadcast, MBN will continue to cooperate with Crea Studio in the future."
'Underpiptin', which predicted its first broadcast on the 31st, is the world's first K-pop prodigy under the age of 15, and is a generational change audition.
It tells the story of 59 prodigies selected through global preliminary examinations over six months, regardless of race, nationality, and genre, among girls under the age of 15 in more than 70 countries around the world.
However, regarding the selection of female idols under the age of 15, the elementary school teachers' union issued a statement on the 27th, saying, `I regret the program,' and `If broadcasting activities of children under the age of 15 become common through broadcasting, many children's right to education dreaming of becoming celebrities will be violated.'
The Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union also said in a statement that `In the photos and videos released, about 50 children in their early teens were dressed in exposed clothes such as sleeveless, crop tops and miniskirts. The ostentatious shell of 「Finding K-pop prodigies under the age of 15」 is even more vicious in that it even paralyzes the guilt of competing and evaluating the appearance and abilities of female children one by one."
As the controversy continued, the production team of 'Underpiptin' appealed in an emergency press conference on the 25th that the intention of the program was by no means 'Sex Commercialization'.
On this day, producer Yong Seok-in said "Kids don't even think about the fact that they can't be broadcasted. I'm really looking forward to the show, I want to brag about it, and I want to promote it, that's what children and parents really mean now. This is being hurt a lot by distortion for any reason. "
"Even the participants who were attached, including the participants who failed, were happy to come home."And we're doing everything we can to help these kids continue their talents and to help them grow as a process, not as a "end" point", but the broadcast failed in the end.
shyun@sportschosun.com
