KMCA’s boycott call against NewJeans and alume sparks fierce reactions from K-pop fans

The Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) has called on K-pop music acts and award shows to boycott NewJeans and ablume (Sio, Saena and Aran) to prevent “tampering” attempts by K-pop artists.

The association revealed that tampering has recently become a problem and assured that it will work to address the issue.

“We declare that we will make every effort to eradicate tampering that could shake the foundations of the Korean popular music industry,” KMCA said on December 13th.

According to KMCA, so-called tampering “involves outside producers hired by entertainment agencies to persuade promising young artists and their parents to break their exclusive contracts with the agencies”, and this “was witnessed in the FIFTY FIFTY case”.

Following the FIFTY FIFTY incident, the members have already withdrawn and signed exclusive contracts with other labels. In this context, the former CEO of ADOR, Min Hee Jin, was suspected by the media of tampering, which shows how rampant tampering is in the industry, according to the association.

“It has been proven that such tampering attempts can easily occur not only in small and medium-sized agencies, but also in large ones, so the association can no longer turn a blind eye to this issue,” KMCA said.

The association hereby requests Min Hee Jin to clarify his position and facts regarding these allegations.

“Now more than ever we need a clear response from former Rep. Min, who is directly involved in this tampering incident,” they demanded. “We call on former Representative Min to clearly state the facts and put an end to the current controversy, rather than dodging the issue with provocative and ambiguous responses.”

KMCA also urged NewJeans to engage in dialogue and honor exclusive contracts with its label, adding that if conflicts remain unresolved, the matter should be resolved by the judiciary.

“Numerous senior artists, other agency employees and aspiring artists look up to them and are working hard in their respective positions. As representatives of K-pop, NewJeans must remain aware of their significant role and be cautious in responding to reports from media,” the association said.

Finally, KMCA proposed to the National Assembly and the government to improve systems and laws to eradicate tampering.

“‘Circle Chart’ should consider barring album and music sales from agencies and artists suspected of tampering,” KMCA said.

“In addition, ‘Circle Chart’ should also consider excluding data from music show programs, such as ‘M-Countdown’, ‘Music Bank’, ‘Inkigayo’, ‘The Show’, ‘Show! Champion’ and other music broadcast programs Additionally, major music award ceremonies in Korea (“Circle Chart Music Awards”, “MAMA”, “Golden Disk”) should exclude these artists.”

Following KMCA’s request, the K-pop community erupted with heated reactions.