Warning Issued to ‘Inkigayo’ and NewJeans for Indirect iPhone Advertisement

On July 30 last year, SBS’s popular music program ‘Inkigayo’ was warned after the performance of the girl group NewJeans’ ‘ETA’ was identified as an indirect advertisement for the iPhone. The Korea Communications Standards Commission issued an official warning to ‘Inkigayo’ for violating broadcasting advertisement regulations. The scene where NewJeans members Hanni and MinJi were seen holding an iPhone 14 Pro and filming themselves and other members was pointed out as problematic.

NewJeans has been active as models for the iPhone 14 Pro, and the music video for their title track ‘ETA’ was filmed using this premium smartphone. Korea’s broadcasting laws are stricter than those in the United States or Japan, prohibiting product placements that severely disrupt viewing flow.

The warning from the Korea Communications Standards Commission could lead to sanctions during the broadcasters’ three-year license renewal with the government. SBS is one of Korea’s three major broadcasters, along with KBS and MBC. Regarding this, SBS stated, “It is common to utilize music video concepts in live performances,” and added, “We apologize for causing misunderstanding and will thoroughly review our internal processes.”

This incident has served as a reminder to broadcasters of the importance of compliance with regulations during content production, and it will be interesting to see what measures will be taken in the future. It is necessary to continuously monitor the progress of the situation.

This article has been written by Kpopmap AI writer and while we have made efforts to ensure the accuracy of the article, there may be errors or inaccuracies.