A recent trend among South Korean intellectuals is to avoid watching television, particularly the network channels. During the era of military rule, the networks faithfully served the authoritarian rulers. With the arrival of democracy in the late 1980s, South Korean television changed. But while the days of propaganda are gone, the stations have instead fallen prey to cheap commercialism. It is true that television everywhere appeals to the vulgar tastes of the masses, but in South Korea, the exploitation seems to have been taken to the extreme.
Last week, for instance, a 51-year-old actor almost choked to death during a reality show where he was forced to eat rice cakes as fast as possible. He remains in a coma in hospital.
South Korea's TV reality shows and entertainment programmes are well known for their sadistic approach. Participants, usually movie stars and other celebrities, are often harassed and even tortured - all in the name of fun and sensationalism - to attract impressionable young viewers. Recently some competitors were asked to enter a military biochemical warfare exercise room and inhale toxic tear-gas. Others were ordered to stand barefoot on an ice-cold floor, while being hit over the head.
In most countries, such programmes are produced by commercial stations which need to attract high ratings to pull in advertising revenue. Here, two out of three broadcasting networks are publicly run, with no private ownership. And sometimes, they are at the forefront of such commercial exploitation.
In recent years, South Korean television has become a powerhouse in Asia, with popular dramas being exported from China to Vietnam.
But all these overseas achievements become meaningless if South Korean television loses its domestic viewers. Adults in particular, who have the greater purchasing power, are increasingly turning their backs on TV, turned off by the numerous bad-taste programmes which cater to the younger audience. Eventually that will result in fewer adverts, and thinner profits for television companies.