"Referring to Women as 'Slaves' and Illegal Filming"… The True Face of Public Broadcaster EBS Children's Animation

Published 23 Nov.2021 16:03(KST)

Updated 23 Nov.2021 17:07(KST)

KCSC Issues Warning to EBS's 'Potendog'

Music video for "Ddongbapnatne" featured in the animation "Potendog". / Photo by EBS

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] EBS 1TV animation 'Potendog' received a legal sanction of 'warning' from the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) for scenes that referred to women as 'noye' (slaves) and forced others to secretly film people's bodies.

On the 22nd, the KCSC held a plenary meeting at the Broadcasting Hall in Mokdong, Seoul, and announced that it had decided to issue legal sanctions of warning for a total of 14 programs, including 'Potendog.'

'Potendog' on EBS is a children's animation program rated for viewers aged 7 and above, and recently gained popularity through the inserted song 'Ddong Balbatne' (Stepped on Poop). However, in episode 24 of the animation, the villainous organization referred to a woman as a 'noye' (slave) while preparing a 'Gaeddong Terror' (Dog Poop Terror), and included hateful and violent scenes such as feeding her food repeatedly in an outdoor portable toilet to make her defecate repeatedly.

There were also scenes where dogs' transformation scenes were filmed and threatened to distribute the videos, forcing others to secretly film faces, and scenes mocking a classmate's underwear being exposed in an elementary school bathroom.

Accordingly, the KCSC judged that it violated Article 43, Paragraph 1 on the emotional cultivation of children and adolescents, and Article 44, Paragraph 2 on the protection of child and adolescent viewers, of the 'Broadcasting Review Regulations.'

'Potendog' was originally produced as a children's animation rated for viewers aged 7 and above, but due to inappropriate expressions and scenes in some parts, it was changed to a '12 years and older' rating in July following protests from civic groups.

The controversy was also mentioned at the EBS National Assembly audit held on the 4th. Animation Department Head An So-jin and PD Choi Mi-ran attended the audit, and in her statement, Head An said, "The most important values EBS considers are the protection and emotional cultivation of children and adolescents," adding, "We feel deep responsibility and remorse for causing controversy through the animation Potendog, which we are co-producing."

Meanwhile, on the same day, the KCSC issued a 'warning' to MBC's 'News Desk' for repeatedly exposing and sensationally depicting abuse videos of victims who died from child abuse. Additionally, OBS News and 10 other broadcasters received 'warnings' for violating the 'Broadcast Advertising Review Regulations' by excessively highlighting and repeatedly mentioning the name and logo of a specific car company, and broadcasting in a way that misled viewers about product efficacy and effects and suggested greater discount benefits.