‘They seriously look identical’: South Korea to limit K-pop stars on TV if they look too similar
- South Korea has issued broadcasting guidelines that suggest limiting the appearance of too many similar-looking K-pop stars at the same time
- ‘Most of them are skinny and have similar hairstyles and make-up,’ state the guidelines, which are aimed at preventing ‘lookism’
By Kim Jae-heun
The South Korean government’s new guidelines for local broadcasters and TV show producers have sparked controversy over a suggestion that they refrain from showing too many K-pop stars that have similar appearances.
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family released the revised guidelines on Saturday in an effort to prevent “lookism”, or prejudice on the grounds of a person’s appearance.
One of the clauses recommends restricting the number of idol singers appearing on a TV show at any given time, saying this could promote narrow standards of beauty among young viewers who admire K-pop groups.
“Are the singers on TV music shows twins? They seriously look identical. Most are idol group members,” the guidelines say. “Most of them are skinny and have similar hairstyles and make-up with outfits exposing their bodies.”
However, some observers questioned whether the government was attempting to regulate beauty standards.
