“TV Show For Pedos” To Push Forward With Premiere—Backlash Intensifies With New Teaser
Despite being branded a “TV show for pedophiles,” given its cast full of minors, MBN‘s new audition program UNDER FIFTEEN is pushing forward with its premiere as scheduled on March 31, 2025 (KST).
In response to the massive national backlash, MBN announced that it would review the premise of the show.
We are taking the concerns raised by various sectors of the society regarding UNDER FIFTEEN very seriously. We will review the content of the program, as well as the decision to air it. We will announce our final position after completing a thorough review.
— MBN
It seems, though, post-review, that the show will air after all. MBN released a 30-minute-long teaser, urging viewers to “see how passionate the contestants are” as well as “how sincere the production team is.”
“Hello, this is the production team of UNDER FIFTEEN. We would like to address the recent controversies surrounding the show.
UNDER FIFTEEN is a 5th-generation K-Pop audition that opens the doors of opportunity for Alpha generation children who have already chosen their path as idols. As K-Pop grows, the age range of aspiring idols is getting younger, and the program was created to help children gain practical experience and grow on stage.
All contestants set to appear in UNDER FIFTEEN applied with the consent of their guardians. The production team has strictly followed recording guidelines to protect underage cast members during filming. We have worked closely with guardians to decide on costumes and styling, and the practice time has been limited to a maximum of 35 hours during the recording weeks. Guardians and the production team have been involved in picking up the children from the rehearsal studios and providing constant care.
When filming late on weekdays, we adjusted the schedule to avoid conflicts with students’ learning rights and ensure there were no excessive, unreasonable schedules for primary and secondary school students.”
— MBN
MBN reiterated that “All UNDER FIFTEEN contestants voluntarily applied with the consent of their guardians,” and that the program has been recorded while prioritizing the well-being of its extremely young cast members.
“Despite the first episode not airing yet, the various controversies have caused severe shock and harm to the young contestants and their guardians, which is frustrating and upsetting.
The contestants are working diligently and sincerely to make their dream of becoming K-Pop idols a reality. Even the international contestants have been working hard since the global preliminary auditions last summer.
We have uploaded a teaser for the main program on the official YouTube channel of CReA STUDIO. We are confident that you will be able to see how passionate these young contestants are and how sincere the production team is about this show. We kindly ask you to watch the video and then decide.
UNDER FIFTEEN is a program that supports and stands by the dreams of the contestants. We hope their efforts over the past six months will not go to waste, and we will pay extra attention to ensure no further controversy arises.
Thank you for supporting UNDER FIFTEEN.”
—MBN
Neither the teaser nor the statement has been convincing enough for the viewers.
- “Yeah, unless the kids are singing children’s songs, I don’t want to watch it. But dressed like that and wearing makeup like that, I doubt that’s what’s happening. So…”
- “Watch and then decide? Decide on what? It’s a no. LOL.”
- “Stop telling us to watch children dress up like adults and dance like adults. These kids aren’t just minors. They’re literally babies.”
- “I never thought I’d see a TV show for pedos actually air. It’s not about the regular viewers. It’s the pedophiles. They are going to love this, ffs.”
- “Cut the crap.”
Read more about the viewer concerns over how the contestants were being portrayed:
