From left, Bang Si-hyuk, chairman. Provided by Newsis. CEO Min Hee-jin. Provided by Yonhap News.
As the Korea Entertainment Management Association (KEMA) issued a hardline statement regarding the ‘tampering’ allegations surrounding NewJeans and former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin, questions about fairness are being raised in some quarters. Critics point out that it has remained silent on HYBE’s ‘album dumping’ practices revealed through a court ruling.
On the 3rd, KEMA released a statement in the name of its Disciplinary and Mediation Ethics Committee titled “The NewJeans tampering allegations must be fully clarified.” The statement said that if it is true that former CEO Min directed from behind the scenes NewJeans’ contract-termination press conference in November 2024 and met overseas investors during the term of her exclusive contract, such conduct constitutes classic tampering. KEMA demanded an official explanation and apology from Min, emphasizing that “HYBE must choose principle over compromise and create an opportunity to reestablish order in the entertainment industry.”
By contrast, KEMA has remained silent on HYBE’s ‘album dumping’ that was confirmed in terms of facts through the put-option judgment on the 12th. According to the published ruling, in 2023 two albums under HYBE’s labels were distributed via ‘sale with right of return,’ 70,000 copies each for a total of 140,000, and those quantities were included in first-week sales at release. The judgment explicitly stated that “actual returns were confirmed.” It also noted that on August 4, 2023, the head of management planning at HYBE Japan used the term ‘pushing quantities’ in an internal document, and that two related internal documents were mentioned at the October 2024 National Assembly audit.
The court found that “inflating first-week quantities to promote chart rankings is conduct that harms fair distribution and deserves criticism.” The ruling also acknowledged that HYBE encouraged former CEO Min to engage in ‘album dumping,’ and that Min “flatly refused because it runs counter to ADOR’s management philosophy.” It further stated that, after Min raised the issue, HYBE internally confirmed the facts through its own audit and established rules to prevent recurrence.
Some argue that, since KEMA has emphasized “the sustainability of the K-pop cultural industry” and “the protection of the foundation and order of trust in the popular culture and arts industry,” it should also state a position on the unlawful practices of “industry-leading company HYBE” that were confirmed by the court ruling. They point out that showing a hardline will for ‘expulsion’ regarding Min’s alleged misconduct while remaining silent about the ruling on HYBE’s ‘album dumping’ can give an impression of lost fairness.
As KEMA has invoked the establishment of industry order as its justification, calls are growing for consistent standards that are not confined to specific individuals or issues. Attention is now on what position KEMA will present regarding HYBE’s “acts that disrupt industry order.”
