It was a controversial performance from the start.
On November 4, KST, the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KOCSC), decided to impose a legal “caution” sanction against SBS due to a transmission involving New Jeans.
The program in question was an episode of the channel’s popular music programme, Inkigayowhere NewJeans performed their newly released song, “ETA,” on July 30. The performance became a hot topic after the group did a unique stunt on stage and started filming themselves on stage with an iPhone 14 PRO. Each member was filming themselves on the phone on live television as the broadcast switched to the main broadcast Inkigayo cameras and the iPhone camera. The performance ended with a selfie of the group on stage.
Public reception to this film has been mixed, but the KOCSC has shown concern over its possible violation of advertising regulations. Back in August, the organization announced that it had received formal complaints about passive iPhone advertising in the broadcast and had begun a formal investigation. This resulted in the recently announced legal sanction under Article 46 (advertising effects) of the “Broadcasting Review Regulations”.
SBS Entertainment CP Park Sung Hoonadmitted that the channel error was “broadcast something that was no different from an advertisement,” adding that they were thinking about it. However, Park also explained his reasons for doing so.
Usually, when an agency curates an artist’s performance as a complete work, we respect it and try not to intervene as much as possible. At the time, NewJeans said that they would use the music video concept for the production, so we accepted it without any problem, but we didn’t realize that the music video was being used as advertising.
—Park Sung Hoon
According to the KOCSC, at the time of broadcast, SBS had no separate contract for indirect advertising Apple. Although a previous Special Advisory Committee on Broadcasting had issued a decision of “no problem” by seven members and “violation” by one, the full KOCSC committee decided unanimously on legal sanctions.
You can watch NewJeans’ controversial performance here: