271 of 300 YouTube videos accessible to all ages

Smoking scenes found in 82% of films rated 15 and up

[123rf]
[123rf]

Tobacco and smoking content is appearing in YouTube Shorts and movies popular among teenagers with little restriction, a new review has found. Nine out of 10 tobacco-related YouTube Shorts examined last year carried no age restrictions.

According to data submitted to People Power Party lawmaker Han Ji-a of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee by the Korea Health Promotion Institute, 271 of 300 tobacco- and smoking-related YouTube Shorts reviewed last year — 90.3 percent — were accessible to viewers of all ages, Yonhap reported.

The trend has persisted for three consecutive years. The share of unrestricted videos stood at 86.8 percent in 2023 and 93.6 percent in 2024, exceeding 85 percent of all videos reviewed every year through last year.

Smoking scenes were also widely found in theatrical films open to younger audiences. Of 24 films rated 12 and up reviewed last year, 15 — or 62.5 percent — contained smoking scenes, as did 23 of 28 films rated 15 and up, or 82.1 percent. Combined across both ratings, seven in 10 films included smoking content.

Efforts to seek improvements from the industry have been limited. According to Han's office, the Korea Health Promotion Institute sent a total of three compliance-request letters and guidelines to industry players between 2024 and 2025.

"There is a risk that smoking will be glamorized as teenagers repeatedly encounter smoking scenes on YouTube, in movies and elsewhere," Han said. "Effective protective measures must be put in place to reduce teenagers' exposure to smoking content on YouTube, short-form video platforms and OTT services."


kyoung@heraldcorp.com