Censorship of Japanese media in South Korea refers to laws created by the government of South Korea to prevent the import and distribution of media from Japan. These laws were a reaction to the decades-long Japanese occupation of Korea. As a result, South Koreans had no legal access to Japanese media at all until the 1990s. As of 2018, there are still several laws restricting broadcasting of Japanese media in South Korea.
Origins
Immediately following the end of the Japanese rule of Korea, on August 15, 1945, South Korea enacted the Law For Punishing Anti-National Deeds, which was followed with many other laws over the decades restricting the broadcast and distribution of records, videos, CDs, and games from outside the country. While the laws did not specify any specific country, the intent of the laws was primarily aimed at Japanese media.
Revisions to the laws
On 20 October 1998, manga and other publications were allowed to be imported for the first time. Films that were joint Japan–Korea productions, or had won an Academy Award or an award at a major international film festival, were also allowed to be screened in theatres. Animated films continued to be banned. In September 1999, Japanese music was allowed to be performed in venues not exceeding 2000 seats, and non-animated films that had won an award at any international film festival were allowed to be shown. In June 2000, the limit on seats in live performances was lifted, and animated feature-length theatrical films that had won one or more major international film awards were allowed to be shown, as were all films with a 12+ or 15+ rating. These films could also now be screened on cable and satellite television. Computer, online and arcade-style video games were allowed to be sold, and sporting events, news programs and documentaries were allowed to be broadcast on television. Music recordings and CDs with no Japanese lyrics, such as instrumental music or songs sung in other languages, was allowed to sold. On 1 January 2004, all Japanese films were allowed to be shown in theaters, and all Japanese music and video games could be sold by retailers. For satellite and cable television, programming now allowed was lifestyle information programs, educational programs, Japanese music, Japanese films, and television dramas that were Japan–Korea productions or had a 7+, 12+ or general rating. For terrestrial television, allowed programming was lifestyle information programs, educational programs, non-animated Japanese films, television dramas that were Japan–Korea productions, live broadcasts of Japanese singers' concerts in South Korea, and Japanese singers appearing on Korean programs.
Laws remaining in place
It is still illegal to broadcast Japanese music and television dramas over terrestrial signals in South Korea. In February 2011, the Korean censor indicated that they might consider lifting the ban in the future. In August 2011, a single Japanese song was broadcast in South Korea as part of a trial program. In 2014, the Korean-language song "Uh-ee" by Korean band Crayon Pop was banned from broadcast by KBS because it contained the Japanese word pikapika in its lyrics.
