South Koreans under 18 have been banned from attending an upcoming concert by US pop diva Lady Gaga after it was rated unsuitable for younger audiences, organisers said.

[attach id=191424 size="medium" align="right"]A concert poster of Lady Gaga’s new tour in South Korea.[/attach]

The show had an initial age rating of 12 and older but the Korea Media Rating Board, a state watchdog, has adjusted it upwards

Lady Gaga will begin her third concert tour, The Born This Way Ball, on April 27 at the Olympic Stadium in Seoul.

The show had an initial age rating of 12 and older but the Korea Media Rating Board, a state watchdog, has adjusted it upwards, said event organiser Hyundai Card.

“Our company will respect the board’s decision and refund all ticketholders younger than 18,” a Hyundai Card official said, declining to be named.

Some religious groups in South Korea have opposed the concert, saying Lady Gaga has advocated homosexuality and performed in an explicitly sexual manner.

“Our Christian community needs concerted action to stop young people from being infected with homosexuality and pornography,” the Korean Association of Church Communication said in a statement. Lady Gaga is expected to do 110 shows this year following on the success of her smash hit Born This Way.

The eccentric star has a record number of almost 22 million followers on Twitter.

From Seoul, Lady Gaga will take her pop hits and extravagant costumes to Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia, where she will stage six shows.

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