Culture Minister Yoo In-chon Addresses Tampering Issues in K-pop Industry

Yoo In-chon, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, has expressed his stance on the tampering issues that have become a significant problem in the K-pop industry.

On the 24th, during the comprehensive audit of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for the 2024 National Assembly audit, Jin Jong-oh, a member of the People Power Party, brought up the tampering controversy involving the group Fifty Fifty.

Jin stated, "This case shows how a rookie group successfully debuted by a small agency was led to breach their contract by large capital," adding, "The tampering issue makes it difficult for small agencies to maintain relationships with artists and could negatively impact the development of K-pop."

In response, Minister Yoo In-chon said, "This is something the industry needs to self-regulate. It's difficult to address this through legislation. Although it's not exactly the same, I see this as an extension of the NewJeans issue," he continued, "Although it was before my tenure as minister, I had many discussions with management and stakeholders, and we even researched the introduction of the FA system. We have made efforts to improve the field, but there is no systematic arrangement. We will continue to educate and strive for self-regulation in the industry to prevent such issues."

Meanwhile, last year, Fifty Fifty members Aran, Saena, Sio, and Kina filed for an injunction to suspend their exclusive contract, leading to a legal dispute, but they lost. The 50th Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court stated, "It is difficult to conclude that there was a breach of the obligation to provide settlement data by Attract, and it is also hard to see a breach of the duty of care and consideration. The termination of business with The Givers is not a breach of the exclusive contract," explaining the reason for dismissal.

Shortly after, the members appealed, but Kina withdrew her appeal and returned to Attract, resuming activities with new members Moon Chanel, Yewon, Hana, and Athena. Aran, Saena, and Sio signed with Massive VNC, a label under NSE&M (formerly IOK Company), and announced their re-debut as a three-member girl group, Ablume.

On the 23rd, Attract filed a lawsuit for damages worth 20 billion won against former CEO Clayton Jin and current executive director Yoon Hyung-geun, identifying Warner Music Korea as the main entity behind the tampering (pre-contact before contract expiration) in the case.

Additionally, NewJeans is also in conflict with their parent company HYBE, alongside Min Hee-jin, the director of ADOR. Many in the industry view this issue as a form of tampering on a larger scale.

Reporter Choi Ji-ye, Ten Asia wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr