Peter Foley/European Pressphoto Agency

HONG KONG — As North Korea enters what appears to be the final countdown to the ominous launch of a long-range missile, South Korea is debating Lady Gaga. Her fans — her “little monsters,” as she calls them — are not happy.

The pop star is due to begin a worldwide tour on April 27 with a concert at Olympic Stadium in Seoul, the first of 110 shows on what is being called the “Born This Way Ball” tour. Tickets, of course, sold out quickly.

About 300 tickets bought by teenagers had to be refunded when the government’s Media Rating Board declared that children under 18 would not be allowed to attend, even if accompanied by a parent. Before the restriction, kids as young as 12 would have been admitted.

Fourteen subsequent concerts in Asia, including stops in Hong Kong, Singapore and Jakarta, are under no such age restrictions. (Lady Gaga announced her European tour dates with a Twitter message on Tuesday.)

Thanku to all the adults in Korea who are speaking out for underaged who want to come to the BTW Ball. Maybe the gov. will change their mind — Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) April 2, 2012

Local media in Seoul said the ratings board had a particular objection to the song “Just Dance,” which was on the set list for the highly choreographed concert. The song had earned an over-18 rating from another censoring agency, something called the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family’s Commission on Youth Protection.

I can’t believe this is happening. Gov of Korea needs to do something. What’s their problem? Gaga actually helps ppl w/ her music + message. — Paula † Monster (@Paula_PawsUp) April 8, 2012

“Just Dance,” which is about drinking and dancing at a club, was listed under the commission’s “Harmful Content for Youth” category. Some 4,200 songs are reportedly banned by the South Korean government for children under 18. Lady Gaga has 35 songs on the list, including “Poker Face” and “Bad Romance.”

The ratings board placed similar age restrictions on Seoul concerts by Marilyn Manson in 2005 and Jay-Z and 50 Cent in 2006.

“Our Christian community needs concerted action to stop young people from being infected with homosexuality and pornography,” the Korean Association of Church Communications said in a statement about the Lady Gaga show. The association, representing dozens of South Korean churches, had reportedly asked the sponsor, Hyundai Card, to cancel the show.

Hyundai Card/AFP — Getty Images

“We are relieved that at least the show won’t be able to influence young people,” said Sim Man-sup of the Christian organization, quoted by The Korea Herald. “Gaga’s performance and lyrics are very eccentric in many ways. We are not against her show just for religious reasons. We don’t think her musical performance, which involves so much sexual connotations and unusual costumes, is appropriate for youngsters’ emotional development.”

Online comments seemed to have opposite opinions on the age restriction.

“It may be disheartening to the artist, but a society’s customs must be respected,” Minicki21 said on Soompi, a social media site about Korean pop music and culture. “Have you seen Lady Gaga’s The Fame Monster tour @ Madison Square? It was highly sexual! Therefore, based on South Korean society standards, I can understand concern.”

A writer at the music site Seoulbeats made reference to numerous Korean singers who perform in provocative and sexually suggestive ways, especially scantily clad K-pop singers and dancers. “The hypocrisy in this age limit and a good deal of the nonsense that goes on in the world of K-pop is alarming and actually just ridiculous,” said the writer, who used the byline Dana.

“Is there a convincing evidence of Lady Gaga’s concert being hazardous and inappropriate for teens?” the South Korean actor Yoo Ah-in, 25, said in a Twitter message. “What is this? Some 80s style sex education based on the idea that the youth doesn’t need to know?”

Lee Na-ree, an editorial writer for the South Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo, said her son had recently become energized about high school by joining the broadcasting club and was looking to celebrities like Lady Gaga for further inspiration. Ms. Lee acknowledged that “some of Lady Gaga’s performances are shocking,” but she praised the singer’s newly launched campaign against bullying.

(Our columnist-colleague on the op-ed page, Nicholas Kristof, recently wrote an admiring piece about Lady Gaga’s anti-bullying efforts through her Born This Way Foundation. “Lady Gaga is on to something important here,” Nick wrote.)

An excerpt from a commentary by Ms. Lee in the English-language Korea JoongAng Daily, headlined “Rethink Banning Minors from Gaga”: