The Korea Entertainment Management Association (hereinafter KEMA) urged former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin to provide an official explanation over suspicions of tampering (pre-contract contact before the end of an exclusive contract) involving idol group NewJeans, calling it "an issue that must be clarified."
KEMA is an organization established in 2007 to protect the rights and interests of popular culture artists. A total of more than 260 management corporations are members. "Tampering" is the act of inducing an artist whose exclusive contract with an agency is valid to terminate the contract or change allegiance.
On the 3rd, KEMA issued a statement through the special body, the Disciplinary Mediation Ethics Committee (hereinafter the committee), saying, "The suspicions of tampering and related disputes concerning NewJeans that are currently controversial are a serious issue that could undermine the foundation and the order of trust in the popular culture and arts industry." It added, "Tampering disrupts the sound customs and order of the popular culture industry and not only breaks principles within the legal framework but also hinders the industry's development as a serious act of disturbing industry order," and said, "We express deep regret over the existence of cases in which there are suspicions of tampering."
According to a Dispatch report on the 23rd of last month, suspicions were raised that former CEO Min contacted wealthy overseas figures to seize NewJeans and pressed the members to hold a press conference declaring the termination of their exclusive contracts. In response, Min posted on her social networking service (SNS), saying, "The knack for inflating nothing into something grand, making it seem like there's something there, seems exactly like somewhere else," expressing the position that the suspicions were not true.
KEMA pointed out that if Dispatch's report is true, it would be a disorderly act that violates the "principle of good faith." KEMA said, "If it is true that the former head of the entertainment company, a party to the dispute, was involved behind the scenes in the artists' contract termination and took part in the termination procedure, this corresponds to one of the most chronic illegal and wrongful acts in the entertainment industry and constitutes a typical act of 'tampering.'"
KEMA continued, saying, "In this regard, former CEO Min must provide a clear explanation. If such acts are true, she should take corresponding responsibility and issue an official apology." It also urged ADOR's parent company HYBE, saying, "Choose the path of establishing principles rather than compromise and create an opportunity to reestablish order in the entertainment industry," and added, "As a leading K-culture corporations, the dispute within HYBE should serve as an opportunity to establish order in the entertainment sector and to reinforce the trust and foundation of the K-entertainment industry and restructure its framework."
KEMA said, "With this incident as a turning point, the industry plans to eliminate bad practices such as tampering and to have the parties and artists who attempted tampering bear corresponding responsibility," adding, "In particular, industry figures who attempted tampering must be expelled from the industry. We will make sure they can never set foot here again."