A total of 5 associations in the music industry, joint statement
Industry insider "Amendment bill does not reflect industry reality"
The ‘unfair contract’ issue raised by Lee Seung-gi
Industry insider "Amendment bill does not reflect industry reality"
The ‘unfair contract’ issue raised by Lee Seung-gi
《Yoon Jun-ho’s Rebirth》
Reporter Junho Yoon of Ten Asia introduces trends in the entertainment industry. Let's look back at what the needs of viewers have increased from the perspective of the MZ generation and what made it popular or uncomfortable with the public.
Daniel from girl group New Jeans is 19 years old. Hae-rin and Hye-in are 18 and 16 years old, respectively. Ive’s youngest child, Lee Seo, is 17 years old. All of them were free to carry out their activities because there were no restrictions on working hours.
As an idol who manages his condition by alternating active periods and rest periods, it is common to row when the water comes in. However, there are concerns that the 'Lee Seung-gi Act' being discussed in the National Assembly will greatly restrict the activities of idols. The industry is raising its voice saying that excessive restrictions on working hours will damage the growth potential of K-pop itself.
Popular music industry associations protested based on some of the contents of the amendment to the Popular Culture and Arts Industry Act. This amendment is also called the ‘Lee Seung-gi Act’. It was designed to prevent unfair treatment of celebrities by agencies.
Five associations, including the Korea Management Association, Korea Entertainment Producers Association, Korea Music Industry Association, Korea Music Label Industry Association, and Korea Music Contents Association, issued a joint statement on the 16th.
The main focus of the statement is the concern that the treatment of pop culture artists may worsen due to this revision of the law. It is pointed out that the revised bill does not properly reflect reality and may only damage the growth of the industry. In particular, the content of the protection system for youth pop culture and artists became a problem. The gist of the amendment is to limit the working hours of celebrities over the age of 15 to a maximum of 35 hours per week. Children aged 12 to 15 are limited to 30 hours a week, and children under 12 are limited to 25 hours a week. This is a regulation that limits working hours, such as 52 hours per week for office workers.
A total of five organizations said, “We are in favor of the agency disclosing its accounting on a regular basis,” but pointed out that the above restrictions on working hours were unrealistic provisions. Practitioners are raising the issue that if the law is revised as is, it will be difficult to help improve the treatment of cultural artists, which is currently a problem.
These organizations said, "The current law has restrictions on service provision hours for youth," and "Strengthening regulations without sufficient discussion with the industry may actually be a restriction for those who want to further develop the capabilities of pop culture artists." pointed out.
In fact, most of the idol groups that lead the music industry include minor members. New Jeans, which is gaining sensational popularity, has more than half of its members underage. If the amendment is enacted, entertainment activities will face immediate difficulties. For example, immigration procedures, flight time, waiting time, and local travel time required for an overseas business trip are considered working hours. In fact, this means that overseas activities themselves can be difficult. In addition, this problem also applies to Ives and Reseraphim.
Here, the current ‘idol training system’ also has a gap with the revised plan. Idols usually begin training in their early teens. If the amendment is passed, the time you can devote to your dream of becoming an idol will be at most 25 hours a week. It is a bill that places a burden on not only aspiring idols, but also entertainment companies that have invested money.
Mr. A, an industry official, said, "The problem with the amendment is the 'part regarding youth labor.' Due to the nature of the job of an entertainer, it is not about what time it starts and what time it ends. Putting on makeup and moving around are all labor time. “If the amendment is followed, it will be difficult to carry out normal activities,” he pointed out.
Another official, Mr. B, said, "The majority of industry officials will be dissatisfied," and added, "There were problems from the time the amendment was made, such as the Korea Music Contents Association being excluded from reflecting opinions. Most of the amendments will be accepted, but the 'youth labor' issue is “We have to look again,” he replied.
The need for an amendment first emerged when the ‘Lee Seung-gi incident’ occurred. Last year, Lee Seung-gi's former agency, Hook Entertainment, caused controversy over 'unfair contracts'. Since Lee Seung-gi started working at Hook Entertainment, he has not received proper payment for his music. It was revealed that the treatment and environment for celebrities was unstable.
The cause was a dispute over music settlement, but the essence was an unfair cultural industry ecosystem. In fact, after the 'Lee Seung-gi incident', the Ministry of Employment and Labor conducted labor inspections targeting entertainment agencies and other companies. As a result of the inspection, 43 cases were discovered where employment contracts were not written, wage statements were not provided, or holiday work allowance was not paid.
Accordingly, Representative Lim Jong-seong of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly Culture and Sports Committee, proposed the 'Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act Amendment'. However, concerns arose from industry officials. This is largely due to the failure to reflect the voices of the industry when drafting the amendment in the first place.
It is fortunate that everything is done according to the law. As the saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, legislators must consider realistic side effects when enacting legislation. The whole world is crazy about K-pop, and K-pop is exported as Korean cultural content and is playing an important role. The 'unfair contract' issue raised by Lee Seung-gi has spread into an institutional problem. The intention is good, but if you ignore the industry's story, it will inevitably become an evil law.
Reporter Junho Yoon, Ten Asia delo410@tenasia.co.kr