[Editorial] "Adults-only" cinemas

Some time ago, Minister of Culture and Tourism Park Jie-Won warned against excessive violence and sensualism in our digital-terrestrial television programs. But, the problem does not stop at television showings. The exhibition of sensuality and violence is now rapidly escalating as to violate acceptable limits. It has pervaded overall areas of our pop culture such as films, comic strips, video programs and arts.

In particular, obscenity and pornography overwhelm our films. We are under the impression that the trend has been exacerbated in the wake of the controversy the showing of the film ¡°A Lie`` created. The prosecution office`s clearance of the film despite civic organizations` decision to regard it as pornographic seems to create a social atmosphere in which an even greater degree of sensualism in film-making may be tolerated. But, the prosecution authorities` decisions behind the clearance were by no means meant to permit obscene films. Rather, the authorities thought it proper for the general public to decide what is obscene, together with their respect for the freedom of expression.

The mercenary instincts of those film-makers to rake in money by exploiting the court`s verdict are certainly detestable. But, the problems originate more from the built-in structural flaws of the current film grading system than the makers` commercial excesses.

The grading system is not really based on a full grading system but on an imperfect quasi-grading. For that reason, we welcome the Ministry`s decision to review its retracted proposal last year for ¡°adults-only cinemas.`` It has the merit of minimizing the unsavory problems associated with the current inadequate film grading system.

The present laws do not allow any film to show at any movie house if it is judged to contain excessive sexuality by excluding it altogether from the grading process. Adults-only cinemas or cinemas for grading-excluded films can accommodate such a situation. Whenever such problems arise, the possibilities always exist to raise heated public debate and controversy over the freedom of expression, leading to the public`s confusion as to what constitutes obscenity and pornography.