Dive into the world of K-pop controversies as we explore music videos that were banned from Korean television. From traffic violations to provocative lyrics, these tracks pushed boundaries and faced unexpected censorship in the South Korean entertainment industry.
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00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo and today we're looking at South Korean music videos that were outlawed
00:11on Korean TV.
00:23Number 10.
00:24Tough Cookie.
00:25Zico featuring Don Mills.
00:27Block B debuted in 2011 with Zico as their leader.
00:31Zico would go on to release his first solo track in 2014 called Tough Cookie featuring
00:37Don Mills.
00:39As the name suggests, he was trying to appear a bit of a bad boy.
00:43Unfortunately, he went a bit too far over the line.
00:53While his rapping is decent, his lyricism has a lot of room for improvement.
00:58It was banned for its use of homophobic slurs and borderline offensive hip-hop stereotyping.
01:04Also, one of Zico's jackets had a confederate flag on the sleeve.
01:12His agency apologized, claiming he didn't know about the negative connotations.
01:17Artists should research these things before including them in their songs.
01:28Number 9.
01:29Lotto.
01:30EXO.
01:31Debuting in 2012, EXO is one of the larger K-pop bands originally having 12 members.
01:45Their song Lotto was notoriously banned from broadcast in 2016.
01:50The lyrics compare falling in love with a woman to winning the lottery, a relatively
01:54charming metaphor and not particularly problematic at first glance.
01:59Well, South Korea is much stricter about mentioning brands in songs.
02:12The name had to be changed from Lotto to Louder to get unbanned, since Lotto is, of
02:18course, a brand name.
02:19It's not the only song prohibited for this reason.
02:23Every Day by Winner was also banned for singing Lotto.
02:32Number 8.
02:33Easy.
02:34Le Seraphim.
02:40You might know Le Seraphim from their catchy anthems like Anti-Fragile and Crazy.
02:45They debuted in 2022 and have already had a strong career, breaking sales records with
02:51their debut EP.
02:52In early 2024, they released the relatively laid-back anthem Easy.
03:03Despite its popularity, its music video was banned from broadcast.
03:08This is because of a scene featuring group leader Chae Won in a bathtub, which ends with
03:13someone dropping a hair dryer in the water.
03:16Channels worried viewers would imitate it, and since it's incredibly dangerous, the
03:20music video was banned from broadcast.
03:27Number 7.
03:28Kill This Love.
03:29Blackpink.
03:30Considered by many to be the most popular girl group globally, Blackpink has still had
03:35its share of controversial videos.
03:38Well, controversial among South Korean broadcasting companies and nowhere else.
03:48Their 2019 track Kill This Love received a ban for a shot of Rosé driving seatbelt-less.
03:55How did the Korean broadcasting system like that?
03:57Well, it's a traffic violation and hence couldn't be broadcast.
04:06It's unclear whether the group has since started to wear seatbelts.
04:09Therefore, we feel obligated to remind viewers that Blackpink is in your area, so please
04:15drive with extra caution.
04:24Number 6.
04:25Instagram.
04:26Dean.
04:28Although music is the focus, music videos can be amazingly creative displays of filmmaking.
04:32Instagram is one of these videos.
04:40Released in 2017 by Dean, it gained massive popularity from IU's cover.
04:46It talks about unhealthy obsessions with social media, specifically with the feeling of scrolling
04:51through Instagram late at night.
05:00The video's visuals are stunning, showing extremely detailed rotoscoping, making for
05:05a wonderful watch.
05:07Unfortunately, since it mentions the brand Instagram, it got banned from broadcast.
05:12Ironic, since the song is opposing the app and highlighting its issues rather than promoting
05:17it.
05:21Number 5.
05:22Dope.
05:23BTS.
05:24The Bangtan Boys need no introduction.
05:29Estimates claim they bring roughly $5 billion into South Korea's economy annually.
05:34Despite this, they're not immune to bans.
05:37Their 2015 track, Dope, is adored by fans, with the group using it as their opening track
05:42live.
05:43Well, you'll never be able to watch it on Korean TV, since it's banned for supposedly
05:48vulgar lyrics.
05:50For example, J-Hope raps,
05:51"'All of you are so weak, such losers, crybabies and idiots.'"
06:02For a Western audience, this is pretty tame, but Korea is way stricter.
06:07Thankfully, it didn't stop the track from becoming a smash hit, which is gradually approaching
06:121 billion views on YouTube.
06:21Number 4.
06:22Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Lee Hyori.
06:31Going way back to the days before BTS, Lee Hyori was popular in South Korea during the
06:362000s, so much so that they dubbed 2003 the Year of Hyori, with her sparking a craze known
06:43as Hyori Syndrome.
06:45She made a comeback in 2010 with the song Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
06:53It featured a plethora of traffic violations, and hence couldn't be broadcast.
06:59These include driving a truck with no seatbelt, dancers dancing on top of a bus, and also
07:03dancing on the road.
07:05Later, these scenes were edited out, erasing a minute and a half of footage.
07:09This version was fine to broadcast, but still needed a 12-plus rating.
07:21Number 3.
07:22WIFE, G-IDLE.
07:24Now for one of the most groundbreaking girl groups of the 2020s, G-IDLE is notable for
07:29self-producing their music and breaking stereotypes within the scene.
07:33One of their most famous tracks has been WIFE, released in early 2024.
07:45Its lyrics were remarkably bold, poking fun at stereotypical WIFE roles while also having
07:50suggestive connotations.
07:53A heated debate online ensued, with many complaining about this inappropriate imagery.
07:58On the other hand, it was highly praised for supporting independent women and refusing
08:03to conform to toxic stereotypes.
08:09Unfortunately, it was banned for its vulgarity.
08:16Leader, producer, and writer Soyoung stuck to her guns, refusing to alter the lyrics,
08:22believing the message was too important to be diluted.
08:33Number 2.
08:34Catalina, Orange Caramel.
08:36In the mid-2010s, Catalina was all the rage in K-pop.
08:40It features a unique mix of styles along with standout production.
08:44Its video is bright and colorful, featuring the group dancing in various outfits and scenarios.
08:52At first, it seems completely harmless, with them playfully pretending to be sushi, which
09:03is where they cross the line.
09:05There are multiple shots of the trio dressed as mermaids trapped in plastic wrap.
09:16Recreating this would be pretty dangerous and could cause suffocation, hence it was
09:21prohibited.
09:22It's a shame they're no longer around.
09:24They were one of Korea's quirkiest and most unique groups.
09:35Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
09:39Your Fortune, Norazo.
09:41And for discussing hypnotism alongside showing tattoos.
09:51Beep Park Jiyoon.
09:53This video's credits were considered too long for TV.
10:02Cherry Bomb, NCT 127.
10:05The lyrics were considered too violent for broadcast.
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10:31Number one, Gentleman, Psy.
10:41Psy has been a household name in South Korea since the 2000s.
10:45Being one of the most famous pop stars within the country, rivaling artists like IU for
10:50being nationally adored.
10:52He became famous globally in 2012 when he released Gangnam Style, the most popular K-pop
10:57song in history.
11:06His follow-up track was Gentleman, which was another instant hit.
11:10But immense fame didn't give him a free pass from bands.
11:13This music video was prohibited for a hilarious reason.
11:17Psy kicking a traffic cone.
11:20Farting in a woman's face and taking off another's bikini is above board, but kicking
11:24a cone, that's a step too far.
11:34What do you think was the most unnecessarily banned K-pop video?
11:38Let us know in the comments.
11:47Do you agree with our picks?
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