Concerns are mounting among parents and guardians taking toddlers and young children to theaters for animated and family features, as trailers for other films containing horror or violent scenes are screened before the main feature, leaving children startled or frightened. In July, Person A took kindergarten-aged children to a theater to watch the G-rated film "Toy Story."

However, when a preview for another movie featuring monsters and gunfights appeared before the main feature, Person A had to cover the children's eyes.

In January of last year, Person B also visited a theater with children to watch the G-rated film "Pororo."

At that time, when a horror movie trailer played before the film began, Person B covered the children's eyes and ears, and children in other seats even reportedly started crying in fright. As such, incidents frequently occur where both parents and children are startled by other movie previews while trying to watch children's films.

Current law classifies the screening ratings of movie trailers into "General Audiences" (all ages) or "Restricted to Youth" (adults only), and stipulates that adult-rated trailers may only be shown before or after adult-rated movies.

However, continuous concerns have been raised that even among trailers classified for general audiences, certain levels of depiction can still induce anxiety in young children. Guardian A said, "Every time I go to the movies with my child, I get nervous because of the trailers. It would be great if theaters could repeatedly show trailers for children's films, public service announcements, or emergency response instructions before and after kids' movies."

Guardian B said, "Who on earth determines whether an all-ages trailer is harmful or not? If viewers feel anxiety or fear, that in itself should be considered harmful."

Another guardian, C, said, "This is something that upset me whenever I went to watch movies with my child, but there was nowhere to complain. I hope new regulations are established." To prevent such issues, Representative Han Jun-ho, who serves as the Democratic Party's ranking member on the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, introduced an amendment to the Promotion of the Motion Pictures and Video Products Act.

According to the bill proposed by Rep. Han, when an all-ages movie trailer is shown before or after a film rated for general audiences, it can only be screened if it meets standards that take into account not only the age and emotional development of children, but also the degree of violence, horror, drug use, and risk of imitation.

The purpose is to reduce instances where children experience excessive anxiety due to unrelated trailers even though parents chose an all-ages movie, and to improve the overall moviegoing environment for G-rated films to suit children's eye level.

Rep. Han stated, "Parents choose all-ages movies to watch with their children, but having children exposed to frightening scenes even before the main feature begins needs to be improved. The aim is to ensure that parents who visit theaters trusting the all-ages rating do not have to cover their children's eyes until the main movie starts."

Rep. Han added, "We need a viewing environment where both children and parents can feel at ease from the moment they choose a movie until the screening ends. I will work to build a moviegoing culture that carefully considers children's ages and emotional development."

(Photo: Yonhap News)