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On December 13, Korean media outlet Naver reported that the Korea Music Content Association (KCMA) has called for K-pop award events and music broadcast programs to boycott girl groups NewJeans and Ablume to avert potential future "tampering" by other K-pop artists.
With this latest move, KMCA will be violating the JYJ law passed in 2015, as mentioned by several K-pop fans online. For those unversed, the main content of the 'JYJ Law' is to forbid broadcasting operators from excluding an individual from a broadcast program without a justifiable reason at the behest of a third party.
As per Naver's December 2015 report, the legislation was enacted in reaction to SM Entertainment’s act of coercing stations to blacklist JYJ, stemming from the band's contractual conflict with SM.
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KMCA announced a ban on NewJeans due to allegations of tampering
The Korea Music Content Association made an announcement on December 13 expressing their concerns over the cases of tampering.
"We express deep concern about the tampering attempts that have recently become an issue in the popular music industry, and we declare that we will make every effort to eradicate tampering that could shake the foundation of the Korean popular music industry," KMCA stated, as per Naver.
The KMCA declared that it is considering banning artists accused of tampering, such as NewJeans and Ablume, from charts, music broadcast shows, and major award presentations. The KMCA also advised the National Assembly and the administration to enhance the law and institutional framework to eliminate tampering. The organization further added:
“The Circle Chart, which is operated by this association, will consider excluding the albums and music sales of agencies and related artists suspected of tampering from the data. In addition, we will consider excluding such data from music broadcast programs... and major domestic music award ceremonies.”
KMCA further highlighted the reason behind imposing a ban on NewJeans. They went on to say that these measures seemed important for retaining the integrity of the Korean music industry, adding that “extreme self-interest” is likely to cause its collapse.
“These measures are essential to uphold the music industry's integrity, foster sound business practices, and ensure its sustainable development. Extreme self-interest will only lead to the industry's division and destruction. We once again urge the parties involved to take responsibility for the damage... and to faithfully cooperate with the investigation.”
The association also mentioned the name of former ADOR CEO, Min Hee-jin, while addressing the rising cases of tampering in the music business. They said that such cases are not only limited to small and medium agencies but are prevalent in bigger companies as well.
The KMCA further issued a particular warning concerning claims of industry manipulation, mentioning the reports suggesting that Min Hee-jin may have swayed NewJeans’ choices to terminate their contracts. The association also mandated the girl group to diligently adhere to their exclusive contract or to patiently await the judiciary's ruling if an agreement cannot be reached.
On November 28, NewJeans terminated their contracts with ADOR in an emergency press conference. This was the result of the long-standing feud between HYBE-owned ADOR and the girl group, involving the former CEO Min Hee-jin.
