Korean Entertainment Management Association: Min Hee Jin, Apologize for NewJeans Tampering Allegations [Full Statement]

The Korea Entertainment Management Association (KEMA) has released a statement regarding the alleged poaching (tampering) surrounding former Adore CEO Min Hee-jin and the girl group NewJeans, stating that it “must be investigated and clarified.”

In a statement released on March 3rd by its Special Organization’s Reward and Punishment Adjustment Ethics Committee, KEMA stated, “The alleged poaching and related disputes surrounding NewJeans are recognized as a serious issue that could undermine the foundation and trust system of the Korean popular culture and arts industry.” They added, “This dispute, while it should never have occurred in terms of the personal relationships of trust that existed between individuals in the entertainment industry, a specialized industry with fierce competition and survival principles, regardless of fairness or interests, is recognized as a serious issue that could shake the industrial foundation of the management industry when examining its details, and is considered an unconventional practice within the industry.”

They continued, “Tampering disrupts the sound customs and order of the popular culture industry, undermines the principles of the legal system, and is a serious act of disrupting industry order that hinders the development of the industry.” They emphasized, “CEO Min Hee-jin must provide a clear explanation, and if such actions are true, she must take corresponding responsibility and issue an official apology.”

◆ KEMA Official Statement in Full

The NewJeans Tampering Allegations Must Be Investigated.

The Korea Entertainment Management Association (hereinafter referred to as ‘KEMA’) Special Organization Reward and Punishment Adjustment Ethics Committee (hereinafter referred to as ‘Ethics Committee’) recognizes the recent controversy surrounding the alleged tampering of the group NewJeans and related disputes, which have been widely reported in the media, as a serious issue that could undermine the foundation and trust system of the Korean popular culture and arts industry, and hereby issues the following official statement. This dispute, while it should never have occurred in terms of the personal relationships of trust that existed between individuals in the entertainment industry, a specialized industry with fierce competition and survival principles, regardless of fairness or interests, is recognized as a serious issue that could shake the industrial foundation of the management industry when examining its details, and is considered an unconventional practice within the industry. The KEMA Special Organization Ethics Committee can no longer condone these disputes and issues this statement to emphasize that it will not condone unfair practices in the industry and will strive to bring about change rather than remain silent. In particular, in the case of the circumstances surrounding the alleged poaching of the group NewJeans currently being raised by the media, the private sector’s own investigation lacks the legal enforceability to determine the fault and responsibility for the incident, making it difficult to resolve the related allegations. Although K-pop’s industrial status and production process have established themselves as the pinnacle of advanced cultural industries, regrettably, tampering within the industry disrupts the sound customs and order of the popular culture industry, undermines the principles of the legal system, and is a serious act of disrupting industry order that hinders the development of the industry. The existence of cases with such tampering allegations demonstrates that this dispute is not a simple isolated incident, and we express our deep regret. Accordingly, the KEMA Special Organization Ethics Committee issues the following statement based on the content reported in the media.

1. Regarding Reports of Min Hee-jin’s Involvement in Terminating NewJeans’ Contract

(1) The media reports that “the ‘contract termination declaration’ press conference of NewJeans at 7:30 PM on November 28, 2024, was a work of Min Hee-jin. ‘Dispatch’ obtained evidence that Min Hee-jin directed the scene (from an unseen location). Testimonies were also secured stating that Min Hee-jin directly wrote the press conference script and made the members memorize it. Min Hee-jin was also involved in preparing rebuttal press releases. She also directly determined the distribution time and method.”

(2) If these reports are true, it would be an act of disrupting order that violates the principle of good faith and undermines the sound customs and development of the entertainment industry, and we express our deep concern and regret. If it is true that the former CEO of the entertainment company, who is a party to this dispute, intervened in the termination of the artists’ contracts and participated in the contract termination process behind the scenes, it would be a typical act of tampering, corresponding to the most chronic illegal and fraudulent act in the entertainment industry. In this regard, CEO Min Hee-jin must provide a clear explanation, and if such actions are true, she must take corresponding responsibility and issue an official apology.

2. Request for Explanation from CEO Min Hee-jin

(1) The media reported on details such as CEO Min Hee-jin meeting with ‘Go Kazumichi,’ a mogul in the Japanese racing industry, at the end of 2024, and ‘Bonnie Chan Woo,’ CEO of Hong Kong’s ‘Complex China,’ ‘talking with NewJeans representatives.’

(2) If the report that CEO Min Hee-jin mobilized NewJeans members in the process of meeting with ‘Go Kazumichi,’ a figure in the Japanese racing industry, is true, it is an act that seriously infringes on the artist’s personality rights and interests, and the industry must further strengthen ethical standards for industrial interests. In addition, regarding ‘Bonnie Chan Woo,’ CEO of Hong Kong’s ‘Complex China,’ we express deep concern and regret regarding the report that “discussions were held with NewJeans representatives. They said they had no intention of returning even if they lost the contract violation lawsuit. If we acquire the stake, we will immediately resume creative activities, including music production and performances.” We formally request that you provide an official explanation as to who the NewJeans representatives were who had discussions while the exclusive contract with Adore was still valid.

requesting.

3. The Need for Objective and Fair Fact-Finding Regarding This Dispute

The current legal dispute between Hybe and CEO Min Hee-jin should not be reduced to a personal conflict or monetary issue. If this matter is covered up in an incomplete state for the sake of external image management to avoid confusion, future attempts and investments in the industry, the overall contractual order and trust in the K-entertainment industry, and bold challenges will be discouraged, and contracts and systems as a whole will become unstable, making it difficult for any contract or system to operate stably. And it is a matter of establishing the sustainability of the industry, and of establishing common sense and justice for the artists and numerous industry workers who have been deeply hurt in the process.

We also urge Hybe, as a leading company in the industry, to choose the path of establishing principles rather than compromise, and to create an opportunity to re-establish the entertainment industry order. As a leading company in K-culture, Hybe’s internal disputes should serve as an opportunity to consolidate the order of the entertainment industry, build trust and the foundation of the K-entertainment industry, and restructure the structure.

4. Institutional Improvements for ‘Tampering,’ etc.

K-pop has grown into an industry that exerts global influence and leads the Korean cultural industry, but in order for this K-pop industry to be sustained, outdated malpractices such as ‘tampering’ must disappear. The KEMA Special Organization Ethics Committee will use this as an opportunity to ensure that malpractices such as ‘tampering’ disappear from the industry and that a system is established to ensure that the parties and artists who attempt to tamper bear corresponding responsibilities. In particular, industry officials who attempt to tamper must be expelled from the industry and prevented from gaining a foothold again.

The KEMA Special Organization Ethics Committee will address this dispute in terms of maintaining social conventions, basic customs, and industry order, not legal interpretations, to ensure that legitimacy is not lacking for the establishment of authenticity and systematic development of popular culture. We are issuing this statement and actively addressing this matter in order to prevent the recurrence of unfair acts and for the benefit of the public, as it is intended to create a high-quality entertainment management system that the association aims for. The allegations of tampering with the group NewJeans must be thoroughly investigated in order to create an environment where popular culture and art workers can engage in the industry with sound beliefs. If the allegations of this case, which have been greatly highlighted both internally and externally in the current situation, are not transparently investigated, similar cases may reoccur in the K-pop cultural industry, and even the self-purification efforts of the private sector will be diminished. The stifled investment in the Korean Wave industry and the distrust between producers and artists will further accelerate the contraction of K-pop culture. This case is a very important issue in the K-pop cultural industry, and a clear fact-finding and wise judgment by the judicial authorities must be made. The KEMA Special Organization Ethics Committee emphasizes once again that a management environment based on business ethics must be established in order to protect the authenticity of the popular culture and arts industry and the sustainability of the industry, and hopes that the Korean popular culture and arts industry will develop into a more mature cultural industry with the establishment of exclusive contract principles and the harmony of industrial ethics. Thank you.

The Korea Entertainment Management Association (hereinafter referred to as ‘KEMA’) Special Organization Reward and Punishment Adjustment Ethics Committee (hereinafter referred to as ‘Ethics Committee’) is KEMA’s permanent special organization established in 2009 as the first industry self-purification system in the popular culture industry to prevent damage caused by reckless disputes among industry officials, represent the public interest, and establish sound industry practices and social justice through self-purification, etc. It is an organization that does its best to create a sound and positive industrial system by representing the public interest as a true fact. In addition, the Ethics Committee mediates and arbitrates disputes within the industry through conversation and compromise through exclusive contract dispute mediation and arbitration and self-purification systems, and leads the expulsion of social evils and poor managers who cause confusion in the entertainment management industry, entertainment agency-sponsored sex bribes, habitual manager wage arrears planning companies, poor drama and film production companies that do not pay actor appearance fees, and planning companies, etc., so that the popular culture and arts industry can move forward in the right direction. It is also the only dispute resolution organization in Korea that is designated as a organization that confirms the work history of those registered in the popular culture and art planning business, and is the KEMA Special Organization.

Korea Entertainment Management Association Special Organization Reward and Punishment Adjustment Ethics Committee