Age to view adult videos will rise to 19

The legal age of minors stipulated in culture-related laws will be raised from the present 18 to 19, the age provided by the Youth Protection Law, starting next year.

As a result, the age allowed to view movies, videotapes or performances for adults will be adjusted upward to 19.

The culture-related laws are the Motion Picture Promotion Law and the Law on Discs, Videos and Game Products. The government¡¯s Regulation Reform Committee will forward revision bills to the related laws to the ongoing session of the National Assembly and will implement the new formula next year, a committee official said Thursday.

The committee also plans to divide the game rooms into two categories -- one for exclusive use by youths and the other for general citizens. Game rooms around schools will be allowed only to provide youths with authorized software for youths, while the general game rooms can offer any software. But these game rooms should provide exclusive corners for the youths to prevent them from using software intended for adults.

The committee also decided to classify the ratings of videotapes into four from the present three by establishing new category for middle school students. Thus, the four grades will be ¡°permitted for all,¡± ¡°permitted for 12-year-olds,¡± ¡°permitted for 15-year-olds,¡± and ¡°permitted for 19-year-olds.¡±

To crack down on illegal videotapes and game software, the committee will vest about 500 public officials with judiciary rights, so that they can seize and scrap illegal game software and videotapes, investigate suspects and file criminal complaints against them with the Prosecutor¡¯s Office.

Moon Chul fullmoon@donga.com