Under Fifteen pushes ahead with filming, debut lineup finalised despite controversies: All you need to know

Music survival show Under Fifteen is making headlines once again due to its latest activities. The show, which was criticized for allegedly s*xualizing minors, had reportedly continued with filming and also finalised a debut lineup, according to Ten Asia on April 23.

According to the report, the filming of Under Fifteen concluded on April 20 at the Bitmaru Broadcast Support Center in Ilsandong-gu, Goyang. Seven members have been finalised in the debut lineup, whereas a new broadcasting station will be approached for airing the show, following MBN's cancellation last month.

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What is the controversy around the survival show Under Fifteen?

Under Fifteen is a survival show created by Crea Studio. The show hosts 59 female contestants from across the globe, all under the age of fifteen. The producers and the show came under fire following the alleged s*xualization of the contestants. Teaser images and videos of the girls dancing in short clothing like crop tops and wearing a lot of makeup invited heavy criticism from netizens.

Netizens were alleging exploitation of the contestants, as the youngest members on the show were born in 2016. The age range of the participants was reported to be from eight to 15. Meanwhile, one of the members on the show was Kim Seol, a 2011-born actress and singer, popularly known for her role as Jinju in the K-drama Reply 1988.

As per TV Report on March 13, 2025, producer Lee Gook-young's comments about the young ages of the participants further intensified the backlash against the show. He had said,

"There are even girls as young as 5 years old who audition. Our audition itself does the verification. There are many who are currently seen in short videos that are only 10 to 30 seconds long. We are trying to find the real talent among those."

Subsequently, the production team held a press conference on March 25 to address the matter. Several videos and images from the press conference captured the production members breaking down during their address, which also went viral. The show also caused an uproar after it was revealed that it did not pass the Korea Communications Standards Commission check.

Following this, 129 civic groups staged a protest against the show outside MBN's office, thus resulting in the cancellation of the show, which was originally scheduled to premiere on March 31, 2025. After the show's cancellation on MBN, Crea Studio released a statement saying,

"After much deliberation and discussion, we decided that the best way to proceed was to cancel the broadcast scheduled for the 31st and to protect the cast and reorganize. It will not be aired on MBN."

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Following the controversy and the cancellation, all images on the show's Instagram handle have been deleted. MBN has also taken down the posts about Under Fifteen. As of now, it remains unclear as to when or where the show will be broadcast.