Lesbian kiss on Korean drama sparks debate

Seoul: An unprecedented lesbian kiss between two high school students on a popular South Korean TV drama has fuelled a debate about portrayals of sexuality in a rapidly modernising society with deeply conservative roots.

The broadcast and Internet regulatory body, the Korea Communications Standards Commission, said today it had received complaints about the scene which aired on Wednesday.

"We will decide whether this is an issue after we look into it, and whether there is any violation of broadcast policy," the commission said in a statement. Homosexuality is not illegal in South Korea, but carries a significant social stigma, with few openly gay public figures.

The country's prolific TV drama industry, which has become a major cultural export, largely pumps out multi-generational, family-focused soap operas with similar tragi-comic plotlines.

In recent years, some productions -- especially those on cable TV -- have sought to include more culturally sensitive social issues such as teenage pregnancy.