LGBTs say same-sex love scene should be allowed on TV

A South Korean sexual minority group said Tuesday the nation's communications watchdog shouldn't try to ban a local TV series showing the first on-screen lesbian kiss in South Korea.

Earlier this month, the Korea Communications Standard Commission (KCSC) said it would evaluate whether "Seonam Girls High School Investigators" is appropriate for broadcast.

The show, which started in December on cable channel JTBC, featured two lesbian love scenes between this month and last. KCSC said there have been complaints from viewers that the PG-13 show was inappropriate for teenagers.

South Korean LGBTs, however, said the commission was discriminating against sexual minorities.

"This drama stands out from the rest because it is relatable to sexual minorities in South Korea, which pretends as if we don't exist," the group, Rainbow Action, said in a press conference in southern Seoul.

The group also accused KCSC commissioners of making discriminatory remarks against LGBTs. One of them said that sexual minorities appeared to be "suffering from a rare psychological disease," according to the group.

South Korean media law bans programs that contain explicit content or "harm viewers' sense of morality."

A KCSC general meeting set to take place in coming weeks would focus on whether the show violates these codes and would confirm the KCSC's decision.

The penalty ranges up to the suspension of the program, the KCSC said without elaborating.

Yeo Un-hyeok, the producer of the show, apologized for the controversy.

"I'm sorry for upsetting you with the program when it should have entertained you," he was quoted as saying at a KCSC hearing by local media.

(Yonhap)