Korea to let music video makers self-classify content

South Korea's culture ministry said Tuesday the cabinet approved a revision to the Music Industry Act that will allow registered businesses to classify their own music videos and other music video content, ending a requirement that all such material be rated by the Video Rating Board before release.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said the change is intended to speed up the distribution of music videos. Similar self-classification systems already operate for games and video content, and industry members have argued for years that music videos should be treated the same way.

Under the revision, businesses that meet requirements set by presidential decree and register with the Video Rating Board will be able to rate their own content, notify the board and then publish it. Small and mid-sized producers that make only five to eight music videos a year will not be obliged to register, and can choose between self-classification and going through the board. Companies averaged 26.8 videos a year in 2023, compared with 8.3 for medium firms and 4.9 for small ones. The detailed rating categories and criteria will be set by presidential decree.

Self-classifying businesses must notify the board before distributing or posting content, appoint a rating manager and receive training. If the board judges a rating to be inappropriate, it can order an adjustment, and if the order is not carried out, it can revoke the rating. It can also cancel a business's registration if it fails to follow requirements. Where unrated content, or content whose rating has been altered, circulates online, the culture minister can ask the Korea Communications Commission to order the operator of the relevant bulletin board to make a correction.

The revised law will take effect one year after it is proclaimed, and the ministry plans to work with the Video Rating Board and the music industry to prepare subordinate regulations covering registration requirements and rating standards before it takes effect. The revision also replaces the foreign loanword "infrastructure" with the Korean term for basic facilities.

"Music videos and other music video content are one of the main elements of the music industry," said Choi Seong-hee, the ministry's content industry policy director. "With the introduction of this system, the distribution process for music videos will be simplified, and we expect marketing efficiency and response speed to improve."