2025-02-19 KMCA Press Release

Korean Original: http://www.k-mca.or.kr/board/board.php?bo_table=media&idx=1100

English Translation (@juantokki): https://x.com/juantokki/status/1892025111974420755

Five Major Music Organizations Release Appeal... NewJeans’ Independent Activities Controversy, Protection of K-Pop Exclusive Contracts is Necessary

The HYBE–Min Hee-jin conflict is not just a problem of a specific agency but a threat to the entire industry.

Legal protection is needed against ‘tampering,’ which threatens the sustainability of the K-pop industry.

The Korea Management Federation, Korea Entertainment Producers’ Association, Korea Music Labels Industry Association, Korea Record Industry Association, and Korea Music Content Association (hereinafter referred to as the "five music organizations") have expressed concern that disputes like the HYBE–Min Hee-jin conflict negatively impact the entire industry through public opinion battles.

Recent events, including Min Hee-jin’s press conference, NewJeans member Hanni’s attendance at a National Assembly hearing, and the group’s declaration of independent activities, have expanded individual disputes into issues affecting the entire K-pop industry.

The five music organizations particularly emphasized the risk of unverified allegations spreading during conflicts between agencies and artists, leading to regulations that could shrink the industry. Using the case of NewJeans’ independent activity declaration as an example, they argued that disputes occurring while exclusive contracts remain in effect destabilize the K-pop industry. They urged agencies and artists to refrain from indiscriminate public opinion battles and appealed to the National Assembly and government to provide policy support for this issue.

Below is the full appeal.

Appeal Statement

We earnestly request policy support from the National Assembly and government to eradicate the primary cause of conflict—‘tampering’—which is driving the K-pop industry into crisis.

February 19, 2025

Korea Management Federation, Korea Entertainment Producers’ Association, Korea Music Labels Industry Association, Korea Record Industry Association, Korea Music Content Association

The five music organizations, representing the popular culture and arts industry (hereinafter referred to as the “K-pop industry”), urgently call on certain agencies and artists to cease baseless public opinion battles aimed at advancing their own interests. Additionally, we appeal to the National Assembly and government to implement policy measures to eradicate ‘tampering,’ which is a major cause of conflict.

1. The resolution of issues should not rely on public opinion battles but on thorough fact verification and sufficient discussions with stakeholders before enacting or amending laws.

Over the past 10 months, incidents such as Min Hee-jin’s press conferences and media campaigns, NewJeans’ Hanni attending a National Assembly hearing, and the group’s declaration of independent activities have become widespread. These cases, which should have been resolved privately between the concerned parties through negotiations or legal procedures, have instead been handled through media-driven narratives and unilateral statements, a trend that is rapidly spreading.

We do not intend to discuss the specifics of disputes between certain agencies and artists. However, we wish to highlight how these disputes, when made public by one party, significantly damage the K-pop industry.

Because K-pop receives widespread public attention, even unverified allegations can dominate portals, online communities, and social media for extended periods. These narratives may be accepted as fact without proper fact-checking or counterarguments. This has led to cases where the National Assembly or government agencies mistakenly perceive the industry as lacking self-regulation, prompting regulatory interventions.

For instance, following NewJeans’ Hanni’s appearance at the National Assembly hearing in October 2024, a bill was proposed to prohibit workplace harassment of artists.

While it is undeniable that K-pop artists deserve to be respected in all work environments, we must also recall the public criticism at the time, questioning whether the hearing was merely a publicity stunt using K-pop idols.

To develop effective policies, we strongly urge lawmakers to consider the legal basis for determining artist employment status, the working conditions of other K-pop professionals, and various perspectives within the industry.

If laws continue to be enacted without careful consideration of the industry as a whole, K-pop will be frequently affected by unpredictable regulatory changes. The burden of these regulations will ultimately fall on all participants supporting the K-pop ecosystem.

Given K-pop’s immense popularity, issues involving high-profile artists quickly escalate into major controversies, often being framed as industry-wide problems rather than individual disputes. This leads to excessive regulatory interventions, creating a vicious cycle that restricts industry growth. Once implemented, such regulations can severely hinder the sustainable development of K-pop.

2. We call for the enactment of an anti-tampering law similar to technology leakage prevention laws in the semiconductor industry.

NewJeans’ press conference last year resulted in an excessive media exposure of disputes between artists and their agencies. Moreover, there are now cases where independent activities are pursued even before legal judgments on ongoing disputes have been made.

In particular, press conferences and independent activities by K-pop’s leading artists influence public opinion and create industry-wide confusion, pushing the entire K-pop sector into crisis.

This situation can no longer be left unaddressed. A proactive response to the widespread issue of ‘tampering’—often found at the root of such public opinion battles—is urgently required.

Tampering refers to actions that can dismantle an agency overnight, despite the agency having shouldered significant financial risks and long-term investments to develop an artist’s career. Because tampering occurs covertly, proving its existence is difficult, and there are currently no legal frameworks in place to protect the industry from it. Even when tampering is exposed, holding those responsible accountable remains challenging.

Despite an increasing number of tampering allegations emerging within the industry, K-pop remains vulnerable to manipulation due to a lack of institutional protections. Now is the time to recognize that tampering poses a severe threat to K-pop’s sustainability and to take collective action to safeguard the industry.

If tampering attempts are allowed to succeed, the entertainment management sector—which plays a crucial role in K-pop’s development—will collapse entirely. This is not just an issue among domestic industry players; foreign capital could intervene and take over the entire K-pop ecosystem. Just as the semiconductor industry faces threats from industrial spies attempting to steal core technologies, K-pop’s intellectual property and production know-how are also at risk of being appropriated.

Ultimately, the key to preventing tampering lies in ensuring the faithful enforcement of exclusive contracts. Given the significance of exclusive contracts in the industry, institutional measures must be established—similar to the legal protections against technology leaks in the semiconductor sector—to investigate tampering activities and reinforce adherence to contracts.

Additionally, appropriate mechanisms must be implemented to raise awareness among artists. Currently, NewJeans, despite being under a valid contract, has declared independent activities and publicly announced having a ‘new agent.’ If contracts are not legally protected and can be nullified through unilateral declarations, the very foundation of K-pop will be jeopardized.

The National Assembly and government must no longer view tampering disputes as mere conflicts between stakeholders. Instead, they must recognize tampering as a significant risk to K-pop—a key cultural industry representing South Korea—and take immediate action.

Throughout its history, K-pop has overcome numerous crises, from the illegal downloading boom in the early 2000s to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2025, rather than allowing internal divisions to push the industry toward collapse, we must unite and communicate to transform this crisis into an opportunity. We earnestly seek the support and attention of the National Assembly, the government, and all relevant stakeholders to help K-pop continue to thrive as a proud pillar of South Korea’s cultural industry. We, too, will do our utmost to contribute to this effort.

(Note: The organizations issuing this appeal are nonprofit associations dedicated to the healthy development of the K-pop industry, and this statement is made solely for public interest purposes.)