The Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) has called for increased transparency from the music industry in the wake of producer Min Hee Jin's "tampering" allegations.
The former CEO of ADOR has been accused of tampering, or poaching, of artists before the conclusion of their contractual agreements with their current agencies, a practice that KMCA says threatens the music industry as a whole.
"We are gravely concerned about recent tampering attempts that have disrupted the industry," the association said in a statement.
"These actions undermine the integrity of Korea's music industry, and we commit to taking all necessary measures to eradicate them."
The issue of tampering was raised in a controversy involving FIFTY FIFTY, where accusations were lobbed of the artist being poached from their existing agency.
"Producers employed by entertainment agencies have been observed using their influence to persuade young, promising artists and their families to break their exclusive contracts," KMCA said.
"The recent tampering allegations against Min Hee Jin highlight how deeply entrenched this issue is, regardless of the allegations' validity. This underscores the urgent need for action."
The association called upon the producer to release a "clear and factual account" clarifying the tampering accusations against her.
"The prolonged controversy has led to unnecessary fatigue within the industry. It is imperative for Min Hee Jin to resolve the matter through a direct and unambiguous explanation," they said.
KMCA also urged NewJeans to proceed with caution in their pursuit of separating from the company HYBE and their label ADOR, warning that the group's actions in their lawsuits would set a precedent for the music industry. The association urged the girl group to return to ADOR to carry out their exclusive contract.
"NewJeans must consider the impact their actions have on fellow artists, aspiring musicians, and the integrity of the K-pop ecosystem," they said.
The association also threatened the removal of artists accused of tampering from the Circle Chart, like NewJeans and ablume, which tracks the popularity of songs and albums in South Korea.
"The KMCA intends on reviewing the removal of artists who are involved in tampering cases from the KMCA-operated Circle Chart as a response to the ongoing issue," they said.
"This would involve the exclusion of all sales and distribution data of the music released by these artists from the charts which determines the scores of domestic music program charts ('M! Countdown', 'Music Bank', 'Show! Music Core', 'Inkigayo', 'Show! Champion', 'The Trot Show', and 'ENA K-Pop Chart Show') as well as major domestic music award ceremonies (the 'Circle Chart Music Awards', the 'MAMA Awards', and the 'Golden Disk Awards')."
