A new bill in South Korea prevents K-pop stars under the age of 15 from working more than 35 hours a week and prohibits 'over-emphasis' on their looks

• On April 20, a new bill was approved by the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.
• The new "Lee Seung-gi Situation Prevention Act" limits the working hours of underage K-pop idols.
• The bill also prohibits 'health-threatening' acts that place an 'over-emphasis' on their looks.

On Thursday, a bill to protect underage K-pop idols from exploitation was passed in South Korea. 

The Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee of the National Assembly passed the "Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act" during a plenary session, per South Korean outlet Yonhap.

Also known as the "Lee Seung-gi Crisis Prevention Act," the newly passed law aims to prevent celebrities from suffering damages resulting from exploitative contracts by reinforcing financial transparency. 

The act is named after singer Lee, who was under a "slave contract" where he was never paid for his music for over 18 years of his career, per K-pop news outlet Koreaboo.

The amendment also reinforced requirements aimed at protecting the rights and interests of underage workers in the Korean entertainment industry by lowering the number of working hours, per Yonhap citing the committee.

Previously, entertainers under the age of 15 could work up to 35 hours a week, while those older than 15 were allowed 40 hours a week.

Under the new amendment, entertainers under the age of 12 are allowed up to 25 hours a week, up to 6 hours a day. Those aged 12 to 15 are allowed 30 hours a week, while those above the age of 15 can work 35 hours a week, both age groups are limited to 7 hours a day. In addition, the act prohibits any infringement of underage entertainers' rights to education by forcing them to be absent from or drop out of school, per Yonhap.

Meanwhile, in the US, children in California are not permitted to work more than five consecutive days in entertainment, or allied industries, and are only excused for up to five absences per school year, according to the US Department of Labor.

But many productions often manage to find ways to bypass these labor laws, such as by hiring on-set teachers to replace typical in-school education, NPR.

The South Korean amendment also forbids any acts that may threaten the health and safety of minors, which includes imposing an over-emphasis on physical appearance upon the children. Assault, abusive language, and sexual harassment are among the other prohibitions listed in the act. Pop culture and arts businesses are now mandated to designate a person in charge of youth protection who will help to guarantee the human rights of young entertainers, per Yonhap. 

"This amendment will abolish the industry's absurd practices behind the development of K-content, and provide an environment where children and youth pop culture artists can pursue their dreams while protecting their human rights," said Park Bo-gyun, the country's Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, per South Korean outlet Maeil Business. 

K-pop idols are often put on extremely strict diets, strenuous training schedules, and are heavily scrutinized, as previously reported on Insider.

Popular K-pop girl band NewJeans' youngest member, Hyein, just turned 15 on April 21. The group was recently appointed the global ambassador for huge brands like Levi's and Coca-Cola, per Lifestyle Asia. 

This bill is passed amidst rising concerns from the public about the health and safety of minors in the highly demanding Korean entertainment industry, as companies continue to debut K-pop idols at younger ages.