Regulations Released to Limit Smoking Scenes in Korean OTT Content

According to a report on December 22 by Chosun Daily, the Health Promotion Development Institute of South Korea has released data revealing that out of 14 popular dramas on major OTT (online video streaming) platforms like Netflix last year, only 4 of them did not feature any smoking scenes throughout the entire series. However, the remaining 10 dramas collectively included a total of 142 smoking scenes.

The South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on December 22nd the "Guidelines for the Production and Broadcasting of Anti-Smoking Media for Children and Adolescents" to address the excessive influence of smoking scenes in OTT content on young people. This regulation aims to improve the creation and broadcasting of smoking-related content on OTT and Youtube platforms in order to protect children and adolescents. Specific provisions include: not indirectly or directly promoting smoking, regulating the frequency of smoking scenes featuring celebrities, refraining from using expressions that may suggest smoking is harmless or less harmful, and avoiding the depiction of smoking in content aimed at children and adolescents.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare also stated that as many as 44% of teenagers start smoking after being exposed to smoking scenes in the media. The more smoking scenes children are exposed to, the higher the likelihood they will start using e-cigarettes, three times more likely than regular teenagers. Therefore, the Ministry of Welfare recommends that OTT content and online comics, among others, should control the exposure to smoking products and the depiction of smoking scenes during production.

A spokesperson from the Ministry of Health and Welfare stated that "smoking scenes in recent OTT content have reached a concerning level.

In the Netflix drama "Glory," the main characters are often seen with cigarettes in their mouths, while in the Tving drama "Drunk City Girl," there is a scene where a teacher reprimands a student for smoking, but ends up smoking himself. Currently, television shows and broadcasts are subject to regulations that prohibit the glorification or promotion of smoking. However, OTT content is only regulated by the Information and Communication Network Act, which focuses on harmful sites and illegal information distribution. As a result, OTT platforms are free to depict smoking scenes.