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Lucy Jeong

K-pop idols regularly wow their fans with stellar performances on the seemingly endless list of Korean music shows, but have you ever wondered about what doesn’t make it on screen? Celebrities in South Korea are subjected to high moral standards after all, and that goes for their song lyrics and how they appear on the air too.
Here are five behind-the-scenes broadcast rules that Korean music artists must abide by that you probably didn’t know about …
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No tattoos

On Korean TV shows, idols can often be seen covering up their tattoos. On KBS talk show Let’s BTS, Jungkook from BTS wore long sleeves and a bandage to cover up his tattoos – which include the letters “ARMY” on his knuckles, the name of BTS’ feisty official fan club – as well as other symbols on his hand and fingers.

Although there isn’t a rule stipulating that idols cannot flash their tattoos on television, most Korean tattoo parlours aren’t strictly legal – tattooing is considered a medical service, and thus tattooists need a medical license to operate. Since splurging on a medical degree just to be a tattoo artist isn’t realistic for most, many Korean tattooists operate in small illegal shops instead. There’s also lingering stigma around tattoos, as they were primarily associated with gang culture in the past.
The one nipple rule


One odd broadcasting rule is that male idols can flash their nipples on screen – but reportedly only one at once. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this rule has resulted in a number of silly mishaps, such as RM’s nip slip incident on KBS’ Music Bank.
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In 2013, the year BTS debuted, the group gave an attention-grabbing performance of the song Concept Trailer on the music show, complete with powerful dance moves and an outfit change. Unfortunately, while tearing off his uniform to reveal the tank top underneath, RM accidentally ripped the tank top too. He spent the rest of the song desperately holding onto one side of his shirt, presumably so that he wouldn’t end up flashing the dreaded two nipples.
No belly buttons

As for girl groups, they can no longer flash their belly buttons, as the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) proposed stricter regulations on girl groups’ performance outfits on the “big three” broadcasters, SBS, MBC and KBS, in 2010. Although the specific guidelines that each media stations adopted vary, they focus mostly on covering cleavage and belly buttons – especially when it comes to underaged members.


For GFriend’s debut show on SBS’ Inkigayo in 2015, when most members were still high-schoolers, the group wore high-waisted pants and member Ye-rin even taped over her belly button.
No swearing

In addition to nipples and cleavage, profanity is a no-no as well. For songs to be aired on TV programmes during certain time slots, they must adhere to the KCSC profanity rules. Some artists and bands change up lyrics especially for certain performances, like the time G-Dragon changed a Korean curse word in the song That XX to the English letter “X” on SBS’ Inkigayo in 2012.


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No “sexually provocative” performances

If you’re sensing a trend with the KCSC censoring sexual content, you’d be right. Hyuna shared on the show Radio Star in 2020 that if she shows off too much skin on her upper body during TV appearances, she’s advised to wear longer-sleeved shirts. Keeping this in mind, she said that she once created a separate music video of a song for TV networks mostly featuring close-ups of her face and not her body … but she still got a finger wag because her gaze was apparently “too sexual”.
In 2010, the group Rainbow was banned from performing their original choreography for the song A, as it involved them teasingly lifting up their shirts to show off their abs.


Aside from idols’ appearances, the KCSC also monitors song lyrics for sexual content – at times causing controversy for deciding that the intention behind them must be sexual, even though the lyrics themselves might not be particularly explicit. In one infamous case, TVXQ had to create a clean version of their song Mirotic in order to perform it on TV before 10pm. They changed the line “I got you under my skin” to “I got you under my sky”, and “I got you” to “I chose you”, performing this version of the song at the 23rd annual Golden Disc Awards.
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BTS’ Jungkook has to cover up his tattoos for TV appearances while girl groups like Blackpink wear high-waisted pants to avoid showing off their belly buttons ... what other broadcast rules do K-pop idols have to follow? Photos: @ryuhojeong92; @taebear123V/Twitter, @blackpinkofficial/Instagram

BTS’ Jungkook covered up his tattoos with long sleeves and a bandage. Photo: @ryuhojeong92/Twitter

BTS’ Jungkook with his tattoos showing. Photo: @hlphlp1/Twitter

K-pop girl band Blackpink in outfits that hide their bellybuttons. Photo: @blackpinkofficial/Instagram

T.O.P and G-dragon from BigBang. Photo: @BBngVpFvr/Twitter

K-pop idol Hyuna. Photo: @hyunah_aa/Instagram

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BTS are picking up even more fans thanks to its music being feature in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Photo: Handout

Gold medal winners South Korea’s An San, right, and South Korea’s Kim Je-deok, celebrate during their mixed team final competition against Netherlands at the 2020 Summer Olympics, on July 24, in Tokyo, Japan. Photo: AP Photo

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South Korea’s Kim Yeon-koung spikes the ball in the women’s preliminary round volleyball match against Japan at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Arena in Tokyo on July 31. Photo: AFP

BTS fan Kang Chae-young of South Korea competes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on July 23. Photo Reuters

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Seo Ye-ji’s reputation has been shaken by a number of scandals in recent weeks. Photo: @seoyeajiluv/Instagram.

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Seolhyun. Photo: @sh_9513/Instagram

Yunho from TVXQ. Photo: SM Entertainment

K-drama stars Ahn Jae-hyun and Koo Hye-sun. Photo: TVN

K-drama star Song Joong-ki. Photo: @songjoongki.kg/Instagram

Seungri from BigBang. Photo: SM Entertainment 

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Zheng Shuang in an advert for Prada. Photo: Prada

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Tablo from Epik High. Photo: @kville_ent/Twitter

Park Kyung from Block B. Photo: @_mymusictaste/Twitter

Changmin from TVXQ. Photo: @LoveTVXQ_/Twitter

RM from BTS. Photo: @BigHitEnt/Twitter

Kim Tae-hee (front) and Yoon Sa-bong in a still from Hi Bye, Mama! Photo: Handout

Hani from Exid. Photo: @girlgroupspics/Twitter

Cha Eun-woo in the drama True Beauty. Photo: TVN

Song Joong-ki. Photo: @joongkisource/Twitter

Kyuhyun from Super Junior. Photo: @DoJaemTokki/Twitter

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Jung Il-hoon, formally of K-pop boy band BtoB. Photo: @ilhoonsloop/Twitter

Jung Il-hoon, once of K-pop boy band BtoB. Photo: @MajestyHoon1004/Twitter

Former BtoB member Jung Il-hoon entered the army in May 2020. Photo: @tangun920307/Twitter

T.O.P and G-Dragon from BigBang. Photo: @BBngVpFvr/Twitter

G-Dragon. Photo: @xxxibgdrgn/Instagram 

T.O.P from BigBang. Photo: @kimchaewon0108/Twitter

Psy. Photo: Fairfax Media

Actor Ju Ji-hoon in Netflix’s Kingdom. Photo: Netflix

Ju Ji-hoon. Photo: @goldenjihoon/Instagram

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Girl groups like Blackpink often wear high-waisted pants on SBS, MBC and KBS TV music shows – due to a rule prohibiting revealing their belly buttons
Big Bang’s G-Dragon and TVXQ had to create clean versions of their songs, and Hyuna got told off because her facial expression was apparently ‘too sexual’


No sexy stares, no belly buttons, no curse words … what other strait-laced rules must Korean groups like BTS, Blackpink and TVXQ follow on TV?
