‘Reply 1988’ Kim Seol to Appear on ‘Under Fifteen’ — MBN Pushes Ahead Despite Child Sexualization Controversy

On March 22, the production team of Under Fifteen issued a statement:

“All participants are valuable young talents who have applied for the show with full understanding and consent, along with the approval of their guardians. The production team has strictly adhered to guidelines to protect underage participants during filming.”

They added, “Costumes and styling were determined after active discussions between the staff and the participants’ guardians. During filming weeks, practice hours were limited to 35 hours, with both guardians and the production team handling pick-up, drop-off, and on-site care.”

The team also expressed regret over the growing backlash, saying:

“Even before the first episode has aired, these various controversies have caused great distress and emotional harm to the young participants and their families. We find this deeply unfortunate.”

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They continued, “‘Under Fifteen’ is a program that supports the dreams of its participants. As some contestants have spent over six months preparing, we sincerely hope their hard work does not go to waste. We promise to be more attentive during production moving forward to prevent any further misunderstandings.”

Under Fifteen is an audition show aimed at discovering the next generation of K-pop stars under the age of 15. The show is set to premiere on March 31, featuring 59 contestants under 15 from over 70 countries. It has drawn attention for the participation of child actress Kim Seol, best known for playing Jin-joo, Sung Sunwoo‘s (played by Go Kyung Po)younger sister in the 2015 hit drama Reply 1988).

However, after the release of teaser clips and promotional videos, the program sparked controversy, with many accusing it of sexualizing children. Concerns have been raised over styling, visuals, and the overall framing of underage contestants.

In response, on March 21, MBN stated:

“We take the concerns raised by the public and experts from all sectors of society very seriously. We are currently reviewing all aspects of the program, including its detailed content and potential broadcast plans. We will issue an official statement from the network soon.”

Despite this, controversy continues as the production team proceeded to release new teasers and confirmed plans to go ahead with the show, drawing further criticism.