South Korea Approves Self-Rating System for Music Videos

South Korea is changing how music videos are rated before release, approving a new system that will allow qualified entertainment companies and distributors to classify their own content.

The Cabinet approved an amendment to the Music Industry Promotion Act on October 13 introducing self-classification for music videos and other music video content.

Under the current system, producers and distributors generally must receive a classification from the Korea Media Rating Board before making a music video publicly available.

Once the revised law takes effect, businesses that meet government requirements and register with the Korea Media Rating Board will be able to assign their own viewing classifications.

Registered businesses will still be required to display the rating before release and report their classification to the board.

Participation will not be mandatory. Smaller companies and other producers that do not want to establish their own classification system will be able to continue submitting videos to the Korea Media Rating Board under the existing process.

The government said the optional structure is intended in part to avoid placing unnecessary administrative burdens on smaller music companies that produce relatively few videos each year.

Self-rating businesses will also face oversight requirements. They must appoint a person responsible for classification and complete relevant training, while the Korea Media Rating Board will retain the authority to order rating changes when it determines that a classification is inappropriate.

Repeated or serious violations can result in a company’s self-rating registration being revoked.

The revised system is intended to reduce delays between the completion and distribution of music videos as Korean music companies increasingly coordinate digital releases across multiple countries and platforms.

It will not begin immediately.

The amended law is scheduled to take effect one year after its official promulgation, giving the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism time to establish detailed registration requirements and classification standards in consultation with the rating board and the music industry.