"I was shocked to see people associate the theme with s*x"– Makers of Under Fifteen address child s*xualisation allegations

On March 25, 2025, News1 reported that the production team of Under Fifteen held an emergency press conference at the Stanford Hotel in Seoul. They addressed concerns over allegations of child se*ualization over the show's concept.

The program is an audition show aimed at discovering K-pop talents under the age of 15. However, the show sparked controversy even before its official broadcast, mainly because it featured underage girls.

The Under Fifteen controversy began after a teaser showed young contestants in outfits viewers found inappropriate, sparking concerns about minor exploitation. Social media posts also displayed contestant profiles with barcodes, adding to the backlash.

This led to criticism that the children were being "commodified" like products. The backlash intensified when reports surfaced about some participants being as young as five years old. This added to public discomfort over the concept of the show. As per the translations by @kchartsmaster on X, Seo Hye-jin addressed this issue and said:

“I was shocked to see people associate the theme with s*x, even pr*stitu*ion. The bar codes were meant to look like student ID cards, which usually have bar codes on them. How could people link the bar code to se*uality? We took the photos down because we didn’t want to hurt the children, but we were genuinely shocked at how people could think.”

The makers claimed that both MBN and regulatory bodies had reviewed the first episode and found no issues. Seo Hye-jin further clarified that while MBN serves as the broadcasting platform, all production costs were covered by Crea Studio. This means the network was not directly responsible for the content.

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All we know about the controversy regarding the upcoming audition show Under Fifteen

At the conference, Crea Studio executives, including co-CEOs Seo Hye-jin and Hwang In-young, and PD Yong Seok-in, defended the show. Hwang grew emotional when asked if Under Fifteen would continue, expressing frustration over the backlash.

Yong Seok-in echoed her sentiments and stated that the young contestants had been deeply affected by the situation. He emphasized that the production team had no intention of creating controversy and insisted that there was no reason for the show to be canceled. The team said:

"They (the cast) are hurting a lot about the distortion. It's very unfortunate that it shouldn't be aired. The hurt that children and parents will receive from this will be very great."

MBN initially announced that it would reevaluate Under Fifteen in response to the mounting criticism and consider whether the program should air. However, at the press conference, the production team insisted that the controversy was based on misunderstandings.

They also defended the styling choices and stated that all contestants of Under Fifteen had participated with the full consent of their guardians and that filming had followed strict guidelines to protect minors. The producers said:

“I think the problem becomes clear when you see it from a different perspective. Do you really think that the 100 staff members of ‘Under 15’ are working to se*ualize children? Are they making se*ual exploitation content of children? I think not.”

Despite these reassurances, public skepticism remains high. Many netizens have drawn comparisons between Under Fifteen and past controversies involving the exploitation of young performers in the entertainment industry.

Under Fifteen's producers, however, said that their goal is to provide a platform for young talent rather than to generate controversy. They acknowledged the concerns raised but expressed disappointment that the discussion had overshadowed the hard work of the contestants and their families.

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As Under Fifteen approaches its scheduled premiere on March 31, 2025, the debate over its ethical implications continues.