Some Legal Aspects from K-POP Industry

Abstract

This article intends to portray some legal aspects arising from K-POP artists’ contracts with their agencies or music labels. The author categorizes real-happening legal issues into four main topics. The first extraordinarily legal problem involves unfair contract terms between K-POP idols and their establishments, which is a widespread controversial matter known among people who are interested in the Korean entertainment industry as a “slave contract.” One of these unfair contract terms, in particular, has an unnegotiable long-term duration. The second legal aspect emphasizes a violation of trainees’ or artists’ personal rights. Third, there is also an intellectual property rights’ facet correlating with the exclusive rights of music copyrights and group name trademarks in case artists do not want to renew their contracts. Fourth, there are other drawbacks, such as a boycott, unfairness, and non-transparency of payment. The reason why artists agree to all rules, regulations, or contract terms is  that when the artists sign their first contract to be K-POP idols, they are in inferior positions to their agencies, to the point that they have no choice but to comply with the deal. Otherwise, they will not be able to make a debut and end up wasting the years of trainee life they sacrificed during their adolescence. As time goes by, those untold truths or sweep-under-the-rug problems appear to the public by idols who are the victims themselves. The voices of those idols who reach unbearable situations awaken society to help them demand more proper and fair protections for K-POP artists. Since then, the unfair contract terms have gradually gotten better over time.