Court Sides with Broadcast Watchdog in Censuring TV Soap

Published on 2016/01/27 | Source

A court on Monday upheld a decision by the broadcasting watchdog to censure a TV soap opera.

The Seoul Administrative Court said disciplinary measures taken by the Korea Communications Commission over the MBC drama series "Apgujeong Midnight Sun", which aired from October 2014 to May last year, were "fair and legitimate".

The court said the soap opera was "lurid and sensational" and potentially violated ethical standards.

It was the first time that a broadcaster filed an administrative lawsuit against the watchdog.

The soap depicts the revenge of a woman who was abandoned by her mother, who wanted to marry a wealthy man. The heroine intentionally seduces and marries her mother's stepson.

Despite some complaints about its controversial content and foul language, the program was popular, reaching viewer ratings of nearly 20 percent.

When the KCC censured the soap's producers last year, MBC filed an administrative lawsuit saying the soap did not veer particularly far from socially accepted norms. The court disagreed.

The broadcaster also argued it should not be censured for airing the soap at prime time since access to video-on-demand enables young people to view such content at any time.