A prominent human rights lawyer has spoken out against a recent court decision rejecting an injunction filed by NewJeans (NJZ) members seeking to suspend their exclusive contract with HYBE’s subsidiary, ADOR.
Jang Seo Yeon, a lawyer from the non-profit GongGam Human Rights Law Foundation, argued in an April 23rd opinion piece titled “Why a High Level of Trust Matters in K-pop Idol Contracts” that idols should have the freedom to choose with whom they engage in artistic work. “Idols are individuals first, and it is a basic right to decide the people they work with creatively,” she wrote.
Jang criticized the structure of long-term idol contracts, which she described as inherently unbalanced. “K-pop idols often sign seven-year contracts as minors, locking them into a system where they must live as idols, not simply provide services,” she noted. “This structure doesn’t adequately specify the management agency’s obligations while clearly defining the idols’ duties, creating an uneven dynamic.”
In the case of NewJeans, she emphasized that the group’s trust was placed in Min Hee Jin, the former ADOR CEO, who was a central figure in their creative direction and a key part of the original contract’s foundation. “The replacement of such key personnel without the members’ consent represents a fundamental breach of trust,” she argued.
The court had sided with ADOR, stating the company had not violated its obligation to settle payments with the artists. However, Jang claimed the ruling failed to consider the loss of trust caused by internal leadership changes. “This undermines legal fairness,” she said.
She further condemned HYBE’s handling of the dispute, accusing the company of leaking private trainee footage and personal messages to the media, contributing to a toxic public discourse that even included xenophobic commentary. “It is no wonder that the members feel unsafe,” Jang added.
Jang concluded that forcing idols to continue working under such conditions violates their rights to dignity and freedom of occupation. “In the absence of trust, idols must be granted the right to terminate their contracts,” she said, echoing a precedent from South Korea’s Supreme Court that affirmed entertainers’ right to end contracts when trust is broken.
This case has sparked broader debate in South Korea about labor rights, particularly for young entertainers in the K-pop industry, and could mark a turning point in how idols’ legal and human rights are viewed within the entertainment system.
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