Japanese Dramas and Variety Shows Break Away from 20-Year-Old Domestic Bad Practices

Abolition of Regulations on Japanese Video Content
If Excessively Sexual, Restrictions Apply According to Existing System

The path has opened for online video services (OTT) to independently classify the ratings of Japanese dramas and entertainment shows.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 12th, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that regulations on Japanese video content will be abolished. From September onward, Japanese dramas and entertainment shows will be rated as 'video content' rather than 'films.' The same applies to films that have not been screened in movie theaters.

Until now, the Korea Media Rating Board classified ratings only for Japanese video content categorized as 'films,' in accordance with the government's policy to open up Japanese popular culture from 1998 to 2004. Applications for rating classification of video content such as dramas and entertainment shows were not accepted at all. As a result, many video contents obtained ratings as 'films' through indirect methods such as theatrical screenings and were distributed domestically.

After about 20 years, it has become difficult to apply different regulations depending on the medium. This is due to the emergence of OTT, IPTV, and other platforms that have blurred the boundaries between films and video content. There was no formal regulation codified, as the policy was implemented without legal grounds. Even if OTT providers did not follow the existing policy, they could not be effectively sanctioned.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism expects that this measure will eliminate irregular cases such as Japanese video content being screened in theaters through loopholes. Minister Park Bo-gyun stated, "We abolished the rating classification regulation to reform outdated regulations that do not meet global standards."

The biggest beneficiaries are OTT self-rating classification operators handling Japanese video content, such as Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Watcha, Wavve, Coupang Play, and TVING. They will be able to simultaneously introduce Japanese dramas and entertainment shows released worldwide to the domestic market.

However, distribution of video content with excessive sexual content will be restricted under the existing restricted viewing rating system. A Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism official explained, "The Korea Media Rating Board can restrict the distribution of video content that is likely to significantly harm universal human dignity, social values, good morals, or public sentiment. Only the Korea Media Rating Board can assign restricted viewing ratings by law, and self-rating classification operators do not have this authority."

He added, "To ensure the smooth implementation of the revised system, we will establish a dedicated adult content team within the Video Rating Classification Subcommittee and prepare guidelines for adult content rating classification, thereby improving the system and review framework."

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