The NewJeans (NJZ) Parents Association has issued an official statement regarding the appeal from five organizations: the Korea Entertainment Management Association, the Korea Entertainment Producers Association, the Korea Music Label Industry Association, the Korea Recording Industry Association, and the Korea Music Content Association (hereinafter referred to as the Public Music Organizations).
On the 19th, the Parents Association, representing Minji, Danielle, Hani, Haerin, and Hyein, stated through their official account, "We saw that the five organizations distributed an appeal through the media. It is regrettable that they make statements that undermine the fairness of the trial by taking unconfirmed facts as established, especially when they must know that the hearings related to the injunction and the main case have not even started."
On that day, the Public Music Alliance expressed concern about NewJeans' independent activities, stating, "We earnestly appeal to some agencies and artists to stop their actions to enforce their interests through baseless public opinion manipulation, and we urge the National Assembly and the government to support policies to eradicate tampering, which is a major cause of conflict."
The Parents Association, expressing displeasure at the Public Culture Alliance's appeal, pointed out that it is "a completely wrong claim intended to mislead the public," emphasizing that "from the time when all the members were minors and trainees, there was no organization or space for trainees and artists to report and protect themselves from the unfairness and harm they felt, despite the company's insincere fulfillment of contracts and internal bullying, and they had to rely solely on the company's morality, which is a blind spot for basic rights."
The Parents Association also raised suspicions that Bang Si-hyuk, the chairman of HYBE, the parent company of NewJeans' agency Adore, pressured to cancel NJZ's overseas performances. They stated, "Recently, we heard from a ComplexCon official who was helping with the performance preparations that Bang Si-hyuk personally called American officials to pressure them to cancel NJZ members' performances," expressing their anger, saying, "We are very displeased and angry."
They continued, "It seems that HYBE thinks of the members merely as a means to make money, and instead of supporting them, they are only thinking of obstructing and sabotaging them. It has been reported that Adore has also attempted to interfere in various ways."
Finally, the Parents Association stated, "NJZ members are scheduled to perform at the ComplexCon event in Hong Kong. They are excited and happy to show a new side to their global fans for the first time, away from the terrible HYBE and Adore, and are diligently preparing for the performance. Despite the interference, the Hong Kong ComplexCon performance will proceed as planned, so we ask fans to continue their warm interest and support."
Hello.
This morning, we saw that the five organizations—the Korea Entertainment Management Association, the Korea Entertainment Producers Association, the Korea Music Label Industry Association, the Korea Recording Industry Association, and the Korea Music Content Association—distributed an appeal through the media.
It is truly regrettable that they make statements that undermine the fairness of the trial by taking unconfirmed facts as established, especially when they must know that the hearings related to the injunction and the main case have not even started. As always, we ask for your understanding that this may be a long statement, as the channels representing the artists' positions are fewer compared to companies that can freely express themselves through associations and major media outlets.
1.
The five organizations in their statement claim that NJZ members are trying to resolve issues or disputes that should be settled privately through negotiations or legal procedures, instead of through public opinion and unilateral declarations. However, the public will remember who started the public opinion manipulation by widely publicizing baseless allegations to oust the previous CEO of Adore, who was trying to resolve serious issues within HYBE. At that time, HYBE intentionally allowed or neglected the overflow of media articles about 'tampering' and 'gaslighting' regarding 'NewJeans.' Furthermore, it is well remembered that the start of this public opinion manipulation coincided with less than a week before NewJeans' comeback. No agency would engage in such behavior a week before their artist's comeback. I would like to ask where the association members were and what they were doing at that time.
2.
The five organizations also claim that the K-pop industry is suffering a fatal blow due to the unilateral public disclosure of disputes between private parties. However, it is the NJZ members and the fans and public who love and support music that have suffered significant damage due to this unilateral and imbalanced media coverage. And this damage continues even now. Moreover, the decline in stock prices caused by HYBE is a problem for HYBE, not for the K-pop industry. This confirms that the associations are only representing the interests of a specific company under the guise of an association.
3.
The five organizations claim that even simple allegations can occupy portal sites, internet communities, and social media for a considerable period, and can be accepted as facts without proper fact-checking or rebuttal. This is the only part of the long statement that is correct, and it is indeed true. Numerous falsehoods surrounding NJZ members have occupied portal sites, internet communities, and social media, and there are still many media articles that only represent HYBE's claims and interests, as well as channels that present insufficiently substantiated opinions as expert opinions. It is heartbreaking to see that individual artists cannot stop this or actively protect themselves. This may reflect the helplessness felt by many industry workers, artists, trainees, and their families regarding the associations and industry structure.
4.
The five organizations criticize NJZ members for engaging in independent activities without a legally valid termination of their contract with Adore, claiming that if contracts are not legally protected and are terminated by unilateral declarations, the K-pop industry will lose its foundation for existence. However, this is a completely wrong claim intended to mislead the public. From the perspective of families who had to watch this since the members were all minors during their trainee days, there was no organization or space for trainees and artists to report and protect themselves from the unfairness and harm they felt, despite the company's insincere fulfillment of contracts and internal bullying, and they had to rely solely on the company's morality, which is a blind spot for basic rights. I would like to emphasize that it is contradictory for the associations to side with one party while claiming that the foundation of existence is at risk, namely the company's losses, when the members courageously decided to raise their voices through legal procedures against a company that has no intention of fulfilling its legal obligations to protect them.
As is widely known, HYBE has openly discriminated against, attacked, and attempted to bury NJZ members, and Adore, the label under HYBE, has neither the ability nor the will to stop this, and has even attempted to undermine the foundation of 'NewJeans' activities, as seen in the case of the dolphin kidnapping group. Consequently, NJZ members could no longer endure and had to terminate their exclusive contract, which takes effect immediately upon legal termination, so the exclusive contract with Adore is currently terminated. Therefore, the members can engage in activities without being bound by the exclusive contract from the time of termination. This is a very obvious legal principle under Korean law. Just looking at the unreasonable demands for legislation ahead of the trial shows how absurd and unconvincing Adore and HYBE's claims regarding the contract are. The statement released by the associations today raises concerns that it may be a means to excessively restrict individual rights and exercise invisible legalized violence. The associations' claims sound as if the exclusive contract must operate like a slave contract for the K-pop industry to avoid collapse.
This matter is fundamentally a dispute between a specific agency that has treated its artists unfairly and a specific artist, and it does not affect the entire K-pop industry. Rather, I believe that the courageous decision of the members can serve as an opportunity for the K-pop industry to become healthier and overflow with diverse and creative artists. Additionally, I am truly sorry for the part where you perceive pre-investment as a debt relationship and have made unilateral statements. Trainees start their careers with their precious youth and their own lives at stake. Therefore, the demand for good faith is an obligation of both parties to the contract, not just one.
6.
While organizing this statement, a reporter informed me that the five organizations plan to hold a press conference on February 27 (Thursday) at the JW Marriott Hotel, gathering numerous reporters. It was said that there was even an option to provide lunch at the press conference, but considering that the lunch cost at JW Marriott Hotel is at least 100,000 won, I wonder if many reporters will be able to attend, and whether a lunch meeting with obvious intentions targeting the media is realistically possible. Furthermore, the five associations not only distributed the statement in the morning but also redistributed the same content around 1 PM? What could be the intention behind redistributing the same content on the same day instead of a correction? Isn't this what public opinion manipulation is about?
I respectfully request that the five organizations stop their attempts to manipulate public opinion that only represent the position and claims of a specific agency, as stated in their statement. For the sustainable growth of the K-pop industry, the wrongdoings of specific agencies that treat their artists merely as a means to make money and as replaceable parts must be corrected, and this will be resolved through the court's ruling.
Recently, I heard from a ComplexCon official who is helping with the performance preparations that Bang Si-hyuk, the chairman of HYBE, personally called American officials to pressure them to cancel NJZ members' performances. I wonder if the sudden statement from the five organizations today is not unrelated to this matter. I am very displeased and angry, and it seems that HYBE thinks of the members merely as a means to make money, and instead of supporting them, they are only thinking of obstructing and sabotaging them. It has been reported that Adore has also attempted to interfere in various ways.
Chairman, when we sent a protest email in April 2024, we requested a response from you, but you have not provided any response until now. If you have so much to say, please call us, not elsewhere. I do not understand why the chairman of HYBE is directly intervening in the dispute with Adore. Do you still believe that Adore and HYBE are not one entity?
NJZ members are scheduled to perform at the ComplexCon event in Hong Kong. They are excited and happy to show a new side to their global fans for the first time, away from the terrible HYBE and Adore, and are diligently preparing for the performance. Despite the interference, the Hong Kong ComplexCon performance will proceed as planned, so we ask fans to continue their warm interest and support.
Thank you for reading this long statement, and as always, I apologize for the disturbance. I hope you have a warm day.
[Geum Bit-na, MK Sports Reporter]
