Korea Herald

About the author: The Korea Herald is one of the leading English-language dailies in Asia. The newspaper carries selected news and opinion pieces as well as science stories from the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Washington Post. It also has a news exchange agreement with the Japan Times and the China Daily.

Reality TV is not yet well accepted in Korea. Because Koreans emphasize family ties rather than independence, they are not as interested in watching the details of individual lives as are Americans, who value individualism. Further, state censorship, a morality standard based on Confucianism, tight network budgets, and a lack of familiarity with this very Western genre are all barriers to Koreans' acceptance of reality TV. Ethical broadcasting standards and a Korean law that prohibits airing...