K-pop industry groups condemn tampering, call for policy support amid NewJeans controversy
The ongoing contract dispute involving NewJeans — who have rebranded themselves as NJZ — has sparked a heated debate within the K-pop industry, raising concerns over the stability of artist-agency relationships.
On Thursday, five major music organizations in South Korea — Korea Management Federation, Korea Entertainment Producers Association, Record Label Industry Association of Korea, Recording Industry Association of Korea and Korea Music Content Association — held a joint press conference, emphasizing the need to curb tampering, or the unauthorized interference in existing contracts.
The conference follows a statement from the same organizations strongly condemning tampering released on Feb. 19. On Thursday, the groups urged an end to reckless public opinion battles and called on the government and the National Assembly for policy support.
Arguing that exclusive contracts between agencies and artists are the backbone of the entertainment industry, the organizations strongly demanded the eradication of tampering.
Steve Choi, Secretary-General of the Korea Music Content Association, likened the tampering issue to an epidemic, spreading from major to small agencies. "Agencies are no longer in a superior position. The relationship between an agency and an artist is not that of an employer and an employee, but a partnership," he asserted.
Regarding NewJeans members' press conference last November, in which they announced their unilateral contract termination with Ador, claiming they could do so without taking legal steps, Choi responded cautiously: "In any industry, disputes must be settled through judicial decisions. No one can unilaterally declare a contract cancellation before a court ruling."
He further emphasized that the current artist-friendly standard contract, which has been in place for over a decade, needs to be updated to align with the industry's evolving landscape.
Korea Entertainment Producers Association Director Kim Myung-soo proposed a legal framework to combat tampering. "Even if a contract dispute leads to a breakdown in the relationship, engaging in unilateral activities during the remaining contract period should be prohibited, rendering tampering meaningless."
'Burden of K-pop agency should be considered as well'
Industry representatives also claimed that agencies' voices are often overshadowed by the popularity of artists, leading to biased narratives. They agreed that concrete measures must be implemented to prevent tampering, given the significant costs and risks producers bear to debut new artists.
"When someone with a significant influence and a strong fandom makes claims, they are often accepted as truths, even before a legal verdict. We must ask ourselves whether we have truly listened to both sides," Steve Choi said, referencing allegations of workplace bullying involving NewJeans’ Hanni.
At the end of last year, Hanni alleged that she overheard another artist’s manager saying “ignore her” inside Hybe headquarters, which she claimed constituted workplace bullying. She was later called as a witness in a National Assembly audit on workplace harassment.
Choi Jae-woo, CEO of F&F Entertainment — a mid-sized agency representing the girl group Unis — highlighted the significant investment required to debut an idol group. "We invest throughout the casting and training, provide accommodations and meals to trainees, and even resolve medical insurance, visa issues for foreign national trainees. The industry demands at least tens of billions of won, sometimes up to 10 billion won ($7.5 million), in predebut investments."
Speakers also raised concerns about agency employees facing excessive attacks from fan communities.
"Some fans go as far as to demand the dismissal of agency staff or even launching cyberbullying against their families. If we are to examine workplace harassment faced by artists, we must also acknowledge the harassment that agency employees endure from extreme fans," Steve Choi stated.
Choi also addressed a statement released earlier that morning by NewJeans’ fan community, Bunnies, which criticized the five organizations for allegedly siding with Hybe and Ador. Bunnies argued that the NewJeans contract dispute stemmed from the company’s contractual violations rather than tampering.
In response, Choi stressed that the press conference was not about NewJeans or Ador specifically but about establishing fundamental industry principles. "Fans may find today’s discussion uncomfortable, but our aim is to create a constructive dialogue for the industry's future."
jy@heraldcorp.com
