K-Pop has gained huge fans around the world. But it comes with its fair share of controversies and problems. Not everything is shiny and clean. Well, there are some songs that, according to some people, are bad influence on kids and societies. So, let’s discuss some of these songs that are banned in South Korea from appearing on television for the said reasons.
1. PSY
PSY released his song “Gentleman” on April 12, 2013. It was his 19th single. This song was released after PSYs hit single “Gangnam Style.” For more than nine years, this song held the YouTube record for the most views in a 24-hour period and the most views overall. Additionally, until the 2019 release of "Kill This Love" by girl group Blackpink, held the record for the fastest music video to gain 100 million views for more than six years. Though the song was popular and loved by audiences all around the world, it was banned from airing on the Korean television channel KBS. And the reason for the ban was that the video of the music showed the destruction of public property. In the music video, PSY can be seen hitting a traffic cone which is a public property.
2. Shannon
Born as Shannon Arrum Williams, she is known professionally by her first name Shannon. She is a British-South Korean singer. She was also a contestant in K-pop Star 6: The Last Chance. She is also an actress and made her debut with the drama Moorim School: Saga of the Brave. Shannon released her comeback song “Love Don’t Hurt,” but its music video was deemed unfit for airing on television. This also delayed her comeback. The reason for this ban was that there was some scene in the music video that showed someone with tattoos and portrayed imagery of nudity and smoking. She and her agency decided not to re-evaluate the music video and release the music video as it was to convey the meaning of the song as it was planned.
3. Orange Caramel
Orange Caramel is a South Korean girl group. It is a subgroup of the South Korean girl group After School. It was formed in 2010. The group released their song “Catallena” for digital download and streaming. This song was the group’s third single in the Korean language and sixth single in total. The song samples the melody of the Punjabi folk song “Jutti Meri” and combines pop, disco, and elements of 70’s and 80’s music. Igy and Seo Yong-Bae wrote and produced this song. The music video of the song was directed by Digipedi and uploaded to the Youtube channel of Pledis Entertainment, the managing agency of the group. The song was banned on the Korean television and the reason given was that the music video is devaluing human life. There were some scenes in the music video where the girls can be seen wrapped in plastic deemed unfit.
4. Park Ji Yoon
Park Ji Yoon is a South Korean singer and actress. She released her song “Beep” in 2014. The music video of the song failed the censorship criteria of Korea. After failing to meet the criteria of KBS, the song was banned from airing on television. Park’s agency Mystic89 then re-evaluated and re-edited the music video before submitting it to KBS. The reason for rejection by KBS was that the song has an excessive ending credit roll. This is not the first time that some song was banned from airing because of this reason. Earlier, “Beautiful Night” also met the same fate as “Beep” did.
5. Lee Hyori
Lee is a South Korean singer, actress, and record producer. She debuted as a member of the girl group Fin.K.L. She was also called National Fairy because of “Family Outing.” She then later established her career as a solo artist. She released her song Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The song was banned by KBS from airing on television because the music video had some scene showing traffic violations, driving without a seatbelt, and dancing on top of buses and roads.
6. BLACKPINK
BLACKPINK is a South Korean girl group with four members. They are one of the most popular and successful girl group in the world. They released a song Boombayah in 2016 with Whistle in the group’s digital debut single album called “Square One”. While the song received numerous titles, it was deemed unfit to be presented on the television by KBS. The reason for this ban was that the song mentions the names of alcohol brand names and also mention the middle finger.
7. BIGBANG
BigBang is a South Korean boy band with three members. They are managed by the YG Entertainment agency. Initially, they were a five-member group, but one member retired from the entertainment industry in 2019, and another member T.O.P left the group in 2023. The group released its song “We like 2 party” in 2015. The music video of the song was shot on Jeju Island by the members. The members recorded themselves while drinking, partying, and having fun. KBS banned the song from airing on television as the music video contained some shots of a foreign wine bottles, and it was an indirect advertisement of the wine.
8. BLACKPINK
We have another song on the list from the popular South Korean girl group BLACKPINK. Their 2019 song “Kill this Love” also received the same fate as their 2016 song “Boombayah.” The song was banned from presenting on television by KBS for depicting scenes of violation of traffic laws and other scenes showing driving without a seatbelt in the music video.
9. BTS
BTS, or Bangtan Boys is a South Korean boy band. They were formed in 2010 and debuted in 2012 under the Big Hit Entertainment agency. They released their song “Dope” in 2015, which was part of the album “The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 1.” The song was banned by KBS from presenting on television in South Korea, stating the reason was the vulgar lyrics of the song.
10. WINNER
WINNER is a South Korean boy band formed in 2013. They consist of four members and are managed by YG Entertainment. Their song “Everyday” was banned from airing on television by KBS because it mentioned the brand name of “lotto.”
