'Mnet Produce' All Seasons Fined 120 Million Won for Vote Manipulation

Broadcasting and Communications Review Committee Imposes 30 Million Won Fine per Season on Produce Series

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] On the 14th, the Korea Communications Standards Commission held a plenary meeting at the Broadcasting Hall in Mokdong, Seoul, and decided to impose fines of 30 million KRW each, totaling 120 million KRW, on four programs: Mnet Produce 101, Produce 101 Season 2, Produce 48, and Produce X 101.

These programs caused controversy after it was revealed that the production team manipulated paid viewer text voting results, broadcasting content in which some eliminated contestants and successful contestants were swapped.

The Commission pointed out, "Not only did this cause serious harm to viewers and participants, but it is also a serious problem that despite the organized manipulation of viewer voting results over four years, the broadcasting companies' verification systems did not function at all," and imposed fines of 30 million KRW each, which is 1.5 times the base amount of 20 million KRW.

Additionally, at the plenary meeting on the same day, legal sanctions were decided for current affairs and news programs that conveyed uncertain information or sensationally exposed death scenes.

Regarding the press conference of Lee Yong-soo, an advisor of the Justice Memory Solidarity, the Commission decided to issue a 'caution' to TBS-FM's 'Kim Eo-jun's News Factory,' hosted by Kim Eo-jun, who made unverified statements such as "someone may have provided distorted information to Grandma Lee Yong-soo or written the press conference statement on her behalf."

Also, YTN's 'News Special - COVID-19,' TV Chosun's 'TV Chosun News Scene,' and MBN's 'MBN General News' were all cautioned for infringing on the privacy of the deceased and their bereaved families by reporting the death of the head of the Justice Memory Solidarity's comfort women victims' shelter and showing footage inside the deceased's home through the keyhole of the front door.

Furthermore, GS Shop's 'Choi Eun-kyung's W-Rita ABC Juicing Juice,' which sold a fruit and vegetable juice made from the tropical fruit star apple under the name 'ABC Juice,' as if it were made from apples, was fined 20 million KRW.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.