The Korean music industry is a strict place. While America and other Western countries seem to have few problems with the content of songs as long it isn’t incredibly offensive or full of swearing, Korea on the other hand seems to have very strict ideas about what is and is not suitable for the public. Bad language is an obvious one, but what takes me by surprise every single time is that one of the things they ban songs for – or at least demand lyric changes for – is sexually suggestive content.

비‘s latest title song Rainism has recently been banned in it’s original form because the the government feels some of the lyrics are unhealthy material for young Koreans, and encourage sexual behaviour. The original song has been removed from music sites and charts, and 비 can only perform the revised version on television programs. The lyrics came under criticism in late October, but passed review at first. It seems a bit late now to suddenly ban the song, after it’s been out for well over a month.

Here’s the lyrics in question:

떨리는 네 몸 안에 돌고 있는
나의 magic stick (magic stick)
더 이상 넘어갈 수 없는
한계를 느낀 body shake (body shake)

Suggestive, sure, but it’s not that bad.

As far as I’m aware, at least one television programme also banned or wanted to ban 비 from performing You, another song from his fifth album, for more suggestive lyrics.

신화 member 전진 also had two of his solo songs censored earlier this year. The first was the MV for Wa, set in a nightclub with people getting up close and personal, which broadcast stations decided was too sexually suggestive to be aired during the usual hours and shows. The second was the song 사랑한다는 그 말, featuring 신화 bandmate Eric, for having the word “bullshit” in one of the rap lines.

And yet Western songs aren’t banned or censored in Korea, no matter how sexually suggestive they are. Is it because the lyrics in question are in English? Or is it because Korea simply has different ideas of what is and is not appropriate for their own artists?

Sexually suggestive lyrics aren’t all that get songs banned or censored. Hiphop trio Epik High have also found themselves being censored in the past for lyrics that deal with social issues such as sexual crimes, war, religion and education. Last year during an interview with The Korea Times, Tablo said “if we talk about a social issue, we get censored. I don’t understand how discussing a social issue or saying that something wrong should be made right is bad for the youth… If talking about serious issues and reality and how to make it better is wrong; If we’re living in that kind of society, things are not going to get any better.” 서태지 has also in the past found his songs being censored for the same reason, with lyrics that criticised society.

These were just a few examples, but there’s been plenty of other occurences of this happening.

What do you guys think about this? Is the censorship and bans good intentions taken too far, or something that’s necessary? Should Korea lighten up, or are the rest of us just way too liberal?