“Inkigayo” Changes Rules for “19-rated” Videos, HyunA First to be Affected?

The producers of SBS music show “Inkigayo” have announced that songs whose music videos are rated suitable only for viewers aged 19 years old and over will no longer be eligible to gain chart points based on video views.

The chart compilers announced that hits through YouTube clicks would only be counted in its SNS rankings if a song’s music videos were rated at least rated suitable for viewers aged 15 years old and over. It is thought that the justification for this decision is connected with the fact that that “Inkigayo” itself is rated suitable for viewers aged 15 years old and over.

The new ruling will almost certainly have an immediate impact on artists such as 4Minute star HyunA. The singer’s latest solo video, “Red,” has been given a “19” rating, and has over six million YouTube hits so far, none of which will be counted by “Inkigayo” chart compilers under the new ruling.