A teaser poster for "Under Fifteen," seen in this grab from MBN.

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SEOUL, March 28 (AJP) - Cable channel MBN on Friday eventually decided to cancel its upcoming audition show featuring young K-pop wannabes amid mounting controversy.

"Under Fifteen," which was supposed to air next Monday, features some 59 contestants under the age of 15 from over 70 countries, competing for a chance to become K-pop's next big stars.

But it has come under fire over concerns about the appropriateness of young kids appearing on the show, shortly after its racy teaser showing contestants in skimpy outfits and heavy makeup was released earlier this month.

Their profile photos in promotional images also included personal details along with barcodes, resembling the labeling of manufactured items, which eventually led to the last-minute cancellation.

The show's producers held a press event earlier this week in an attempt to salvage the program, but to no avail, as the criticism continued to escalate even further.

Growing concerns for minors also come as a separate scandal involving actor Kim Soo-hyun sweeps the country. Kim is accused of dating the late actress Kim Sae-ron for six years, starting when she was a minor.
Evelyn Nam Reporter evelyneyahh@ajupress.com

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