K-pop Survival Show 'Under 15' Faces Backlash Over Contestants' Age, Some Participants Are as Young as 8

The upcoming K-pop audition show "Under 15" has sparked intense controversy and public outrage over its concept of featuring contestants as young as 8 years old.

Set to premiere on March 31, the show aims to discover K-pop prodigies from a pool of 59 participants, all under the age of 15, representing over 70 countries, including South Korea, Japan, and Thailand. The survival show, produced by Crea Studio and set to air on MBN, first sparked fury after it released a teaser on YouTube where contestants were shown getting their make-up done.

However, it did not receive as much backlash until after it released its promotional content, which featured the young contestants wearing heavy makeup, crop tops, and short skirts.

The backlash has been further fueled by the ongoing scandal involving actor Kim Soo-hyun, who has been accused of grooming a minor actress.

In response to the mounting criticism, the show's producers held a press conference on Tuesday, to address the controversies.

"We did think that there could be some concerns, but we spent a whole year making this show, and we optimistically thought that people would be touched once they actually saw the show," Crea Studio co-CEO Hwang In-young said. "All of us, not just the staff, but also the contestants and their guardians, thought, 'Why is the show being criticized for being something it's not?'"

Despite the producers' defense, the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) has filed a complaint against Crea Studio for making false claims about the show's approval process. The KCSC clarified that it had not greenlit the show, contrary to earlier statements made by the production company.

It is unclear whether "Under 15" will air as scheduled. As of Thursday, Crea Studios has not yet announced any delays or cancellations.