Seoul court rules against ban on X-rated film

SEOUL, Jan. 23 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean court on Friday ordered the country's
rating board to lift a ban on "Shortbus," a U.S. film that was prohibited from
local screens in 2007 for its allegedly explicit depictions of homosexuality,
group sex and sadism.
A series of recent court decisions revolving around the issue of freedom of
expression has highlighted the changes taking place in this traditionally
Confucian country in terms of liberalizing the media and arts sector.
"Although the movie does feature scenes of explicit sex, it cannot be regarded as
lewd material as it has artful value. The rating board's decision to ban
screening (of the movie) was an abuse of authority," the Supreme Court said in
its ruling.
"Shortbus," a 2006 film by John Cameron Mitchell, screened before a limited
number of South Korean audiences via film events that are free from strict
censorship by the Korea Media Rating Board. The movie's distributor, Sponge ENT,
had filed suit against the screen ban in 2007.
The movie, which won six acclaimed awards, including the audience award at the
Athens International Film Festival and the best feature award at the Zurich Film
Festival, boldly depicts sexual relationships and problems of regular patrons to
the exclusive New York club Shortbus.
Up until the 1990s, the South Korean government had either prohibited or heavily
edited movies featuring scenes of sex or violence, many of them coming from the
West.
Last summer, the Constitutional Court ordered the rating board to scrap a
provision in the censorship laws, claiming the "ambiguity of the terms" left too
many movies within the scope of screen restriction.
hayney@yna.co.kr
(END)