The Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) has called for more transparency from the music industry in the wake of producer Min Hee Jin’s “tampering” allegations.
ADOR’s former CEO has been accused of tampering with or poaching artists before finalizing their contractual agreements with their current agencies, a practice that KMCA says threatens the music industry as a whole.
“We are gravely concerned about recent tampering attempts that have rocked the industry,” the association said in a statement.
“These actions undermine the integrity of the Korean music industry, and we are committed to taking all necessary measures to eradicate them.”
The issue of tampering was raised in a controversy involving FIFTY FIFTY, in which accusations were made that the artist had been kicked out of their existing agency.
“Producers employed by entertainment agencies have been observed using their influence to persuade young, promising artists and their families to break their exclusive contracts,” KMCA said.
“The recent tampering allegations against Min Hee Jin highlight how deeply rooted this issue is, regardless of the validity of the allegations. This highlights the urgent need for action.”
The association called on the producer to release a “clear and factual account” clarifying the tampering allegations against her.
“The prolonged controversy has led to unnecessary fatigue within the industry. It is imperative that Min Hee Jin resolves the matter through a direct and unambiguous explanation,” they said.
KMCA also urged NewJeans to proceed with caution in their attempt to separate from the company HYBE and their label ADOR, warning that the group’s actions in their lawsuits would set a precedent for the music industry. The association urged the girl group to return to ADOR to fulfill their exclusivity contract.
“NewJeans must consider the impact their actions have on other artists, aspiring musicians, and the integrity of the K-pop ecosystem,” they said.
The association also threatened to remove artists accused of tampering from the Circle Chart, such as NewJeans and Ablume, which tracks the popularity of songs and albums in South Korea.
“The KMCA intends to review the removal of artists involved in tampering cases from the KMCA-managed Circle Chart as a response to the ongoing issue,” they said.
“This would result in all sales and distribution data for music released by these artists being excluded from the charts that determine national music program chart scores (“M! Countdown,” “Music Bank,” “Show! Music Core” , “Inkigayo”, “Show! Champion”, “The Trot Show” and “ENA K-Pop Chart Show”) as well as major national music award ceremonies (the “Circle Chart Music Awards”, the ‘MAMA Awards’ and the ‘Golden Disk Awards’).”
