KMCA's Boycott Call Against NewJeans and ablume Ignites Fierce Reactions K-pop Fans

The Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) has demanded K-pop music shows and award shows to boycott NewJeans and ablume (Sio, Saena, and Aran) to prevent "tampering" attempts by K-pop artists.

The association revealed that tampering have recently become a problem, and assured that they will work on addressing the matter.

"We declare that we will make every effort to eradicate tampering that could shake the foundation of the Korean popular music industry," KMCA said on December 13.

According to KMCA, the so-called tampering "involves external producers hired by entertainment agencies to persuade young, promising artists and their parents to break their exclusive contracts with the agencies," and that this "has been witnessed in the FIFTY FIFTY case."

Following the FIFTY FIFTY incident, the members have already withdrawn and signed exclusive contracts with other labels. Amid this, former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin was suspected by a media outlet of tampering, which shows how rampant tampering is in the industry, according to the association.

"It has shown the possibility that such tampering attempts can easily occur not only at small and medium-sized agencies, but also at large agencies, so the association can no longer turn a blind eye to this issue," said KMCA.

With this, the association requests Min Hee Jin to clarify her position and the facts regarding these accusations.

"Now more than ever, we need a clear response from former representative Min, who is directly involved in this tampering incident," they demanded. "We ask former representative Min to clearly state the facts and put an end to the current controversy, rather than evading the issue with inflammatory and ambiguous responses."

KMCA also urged NewJeans to engage in a dialogue and honor their exclusive contracts with their label, adding that if the conflicts remain unresolved, the matter should be resolved by the judiciary.

"Numerous senior artists, other agency employees, and aspiring artists look up to them and are working hard in their respective positions. As representatives of K-pop, NewJeans must remain mindful of their significant role and be cautious in responding to media reports," they association said.

Lastly, KMCA proposed to the National Assembly and the government to improve systems and laws to eradicate tampering.

"'Circle Chart' should consider excluding the sales of albums and music from the agencies and artists that have been suspected of tampering," stated KMCA.

"In addition, 'Circle Chart' should also consider excluding data from music show programs, such as 'M-Countdown,' 'Music Bank,' 'Inkigayo,' 'The Show,' 'Show! Champion' and other music broadcasting programs. Also, major music awards ceremonies in Korea ('Circle Chart Music Awards,' 'MAMA,' 'Golden Disk') should exclude these artists."

Following KMCA's demand, the K-pop community erupted with heated reactions.