MANILA, Philippines - A Korean talent agency and record label is reportedly taking action against the Department of Health (DOH)’s use of a Korean pop song.
READ: Is ‘Gaga girl’ the answer to our teenage pregnancy epidemic?
Last week, the DOH released an anti-teen pregnancy music video. The infomercial - which features cheerleaders dancing to an upbeat tune - urges the youth to abstain from premarital sex.
The song that accompanies the video had lyrics that go: “Kung ako’y mahal mo/Di mo ko pipilitin/Di pa ‘ko ready/Maghintay ka, maghintay ka/Are we cool?”
The song, in reference to sexual abstinence, also goes: “Di naman ako gaga girl/Di naman ako bobo boy.”
Many netizens pointed out that the song in the DOH video bears much of a resemblance to the K-Pop song “Rum Pum Pum Pum” by the girl group f(x).
In a statement sent to Korean news sites No Cut News and My Daily (and as reported by English-langauge Korean pop culture site AllKpop), SM Entertainment, the record label and talent agency behind the girl group f(x), said they did not authorize the DOH’s use of their song “Rum Pum Pum Pum.”
The statement also said the use of song in the Philippines’ public service campaign is indeed plagiarism. It added SM Entertainment “already started taking action.”
DOH already received criticism for the said video campaign, with netizens calling the informercial tactless and insensitive.