The Korean Entertainment Management Association clarifies its stance on the NewJeans controversy, emphasizing the need for accountability and transparency.
March/3/2026 12:58Related Groups & Members
The Korean Entertainment Management Association revealed its position regarding the dispute concerning NewJeans. The Special Committee on Ethics and Punishment of the Korean Entertainment Management Association (hereinafter referred to as the Punishment Committee) stated today (the 3rd), 'The suspicion of tampering (the act of contacting other agencies before the contract period expires) regarding NewJeans and related disputes is recognized as a serious issue that could damage the foundation and trust order of the Korean popular culture and arts industry.' The Punishment Committee pointed out that Min Hee-jin, the representative of ooak records (former representative of ADOR), should provide a clear explanation regarding the suspicion of involvement in the termination of NewJeans' contract, stating, 'If such acts are true, appropriate responsibility should be taken, and an official apology must be made.' Furthermore, they emphasized, 'Currently, the legal dispute between HYBE and Min Hee-jin should not be reduced to personal conflicts or financial issues. If the priority is given to external image management to avoid confusion, and if this case is buried incomplete, it will shrink new attempts and investments in the industry, destabilizing the entire contract order and trust of the K-entertainment industry, making it difficult for any contract or system to operate stably.' The Punishment Committee stated, 'This incident should serve as a catalyst for the elimination of bad practices like tampering in the industry, and those who attempt tampering should be expelled from the industry permanently, ensuring they never return.' Min Hee-jin's involvement in the lawsuit's first instance resulted in a loss for HYBE, which paid a deposit of about 2.9 billion yen to the court. In response to Min Hee-jin's declaration of abandoning 2.5 billion yen for all NewJeans members, HYBE commented, drawing attention to the attire at the press conference. There are also reports denying Min Hee-jin's contact with Japanese businessmen to attract investment for NewJeans, stating, 'I'm fed up.' The full official comment from the Korean Entertainment Management Association's Punishment Committee states that the suspicion of tampering regarding NewJeans must be thoroughly investigated. The Punishment Committee recognizes this issue as a serious problem that could undermine the foundation and trust order of the Korean popular culture and arts industry, based on recent media reports. This dispute should not arise from the human relationships based on mutual trust in the fiercely competitive entertainment industry, but upon closer examination, it is recognized as a serious issue that could shake the industrial foundation of the management industry, confirming that it is a case judged as non-standard behavior in the industry. The Punishment Committee can no longer remain silent regarding these facts and expresses its intention to bring about change, not condoning unfair practices in the industry. Particularly, in the case of the tampering suspicion regarding NewJeans raised through the media, private industry investigations lack legal enforceability, and there are limitations in uncovering the merits and demerits of the incident, making it difficult to resolve the related suspicions. Although the K-POP industry is positioned at the highest level of advanced cultural industries, unfortunately, the tampering acts occurring in the industry disrupt the healthy customs and order of the popular culture industry, undermine the principles of the legal system, and hinder the industry's development, which must be stated. The mere existence of such tampering suspicion cannot be treated as just a single case, and we express deep regret regarding this point. In response, the Punishment Committee reveals the following positions based on the media reports. 1. Regarding reports of Min Hee-jin's involvement in the termination of NewJeans' exclusive contract (1) The media reported, 'The press conference for NewJeans'
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