Psy banned over parking prank

South Korean pop star Psy, whose hit single ‘Gangnam Style’ became a YouTube sensation, was praised by South Korea’s president and pilloried by the state broadcaster on the same day for not respecting parking rules.

President Park Geun-hye praised Psy during a meeting with policy makers. She cited him as an example of the “paradigm shift” required to transform an economy based on manufacturing to one that embraced creativity.

“Growth led by a few big firms and the government are bound to be limited,” she said. “We need a healthy ecosystem of creative entrepreneurs.” However, the Korean Broadcasting System marked the day by banning the video for his new single, ‘Gentleman’, saying it could encourage anti-social behaviour.

The broadcaster took exception to a scene of Psy jaywalking down an empty street and then kicking a traffic cone labelled “No parking”. KBS worried the scene might set a bad example to younger viewers. “We strictly forbid any material that might disturb basic public order,” the broadcaster said.

The youth of South Korea, and the world beyond, don’t seem to be taking heed of KBS as ‘Gentleman’ has now clocked up 215 million hits on YouTube (though it will have passed 300 million by the time you read this).

To see the video click here