Shadows Behind the K-POP Industry: Contract Disputes, Human Rights Issues, and Corporate Mismanagement Exposed

As the K-POP industry expands as a global cultural force, various deep-rooted problems within it are gradually coming to light. A range of issues, from contract disputes to human rights violations, threaten the industry’s sustainability. **A Foundation Undermined by Contract Disputes** Several K-POP groups have become embroiled in contract conflicts. The girl group Fifty Fifty, which gained international fame with its 2023 Billboard Hot 100 hit “Cupid,” filed an emergency injunction in court to terminate its contract with agency Attrakt. Attrakt alleged “tampering” — a breach of contract — claiming that a rival company attempted to contact the members illegally, including Ahn Sung-il, CEO of The Givers who produced “Cupid.” The Seoul Central District Court ultimately rejected Fifty Fifty’s request. The court ruled that it was unlikely Attrakt had violated its obligations to pay salaries or ensure the members’ health, and the members’ appeals were also dismissed. Currently, member Keena has withdrawn her appeal and returned to Attrakt, but Sana, Aran, and Sio have had their contracts terminated. Attrakt filed a lawsuit seeking 13 billion won in damages against them and 12 related individuals, and it also accused Ahn Sung-il of embezzlement and forgery. In August 2024, the three former members joined Massive E&C, a subsidiary of global entertainment company IOK Company. After reuniting under the name Ablume in February of this year, they directly commissioned Ahn Sung-il to produce new music for them. Xiumin, Baekhyun, and Siumin (EXO-CBX) also notified SM Entertainment in 2023 that they wanted to end their contracts. Their reasons were a lack of transparency in profit distribution and unfair long-term extension clauses. In January 2024, Baekhyun launched his independent label INB100, which later became a subsidiary of One Hundred, a company he founded alongside rapper MC Mong in May. **The Reality and Shock of Fan Harassment** Kim Hee-chul, a member of SUPER JUNIOR, exposed the behavior of “stalker fans” in a YouTube broadcast. He said, “I don’t call them ‘stalker fans’ — I just call them ‘stalkers.’ It was extremely extreme. Whenever I left in a car, they quickly grabbed taxis and followed me.” The situation was even worse. Kim Hee-chul expressed anger, stating, “Taxi drivers exploited those foreign teenage fans. They charged exorbitant fares just to follow us.” When he protested, the drivers laughed and said, “Why are you acting like this?” The stalkers knew the members’ homes, as well as the locations of their favorite bars and restaurants. Some adults encouraged these teenage actions. There were also particularly shocking incidents. Stalkers sneaked into the members’ dormitories, took photos and posted them online, and left hygiene products along with “more serious items.” Music producer Yoon Il-sang testified, “When I drink with idol friends, I hear crazy stories. Some people said it’s normal for their genitals to be touched just by walking past someone.” **Controversy Over the Sexualization of Minors** The audition program “Under Fifteen,” which aimed to train idols by selecting girls under 15 years old, faced criticism. Participants wore heavy makeup and adult women’s clothing, leading to accusations of sexualizing minors. As a result, the program was canceled not only in South Korea but also in Japan. Another case occurred when famous female idols experienced clothing contamination during outdoor shoots due to side effects — diarrhea — from a certain diet pill. This pill was later reported on 9 o’Clock News, revealing it had no weight loss effects, and the producer personally collected the contaminated items and apologized. **The Reality of Corporate Mismanagement** There are suspicions that the Korean Music Copyright Association is being managed without proper oversight. In 2021, following an order from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to improve its operations, the association limited each executive to participating in no more than five committees. However, it removed this rule in 2023, two years later. As a result, in 2024, each executive attended an average of 13 committee meetings. Between 2023 and 2024, alone, 1.4 billion won was paid out as meeting allowances, with the average allowance per executive reaching 26.89 million won. The fact that the association changed regulations arbitrarily without prior reporting to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is also a problem. **The Need for Structural Reforms** The book “K-Pop, the Wonderland of Idols,” written by journalist Jeon Da-hyun, provides a comprehensive analysis of the dark side of the K-POP industry. Based on interviews with over 40 idols and trainees, the book addresses issues such as unclear contracts, payment problems, backviral attacks and hate comments, and flaws in overseas fan systems. The testimony that 8 out of 10 female trainees do not menstruate highlights the severity of intense schedules and forced dieting. The author argues that K-POP has grown in an environment where planning and control take precedence and suggests creating conditions where artists can grow without being exhausted. This book won the Gold Remi Award in the New Media Interactive Entertainment category at the 2025 Houston International Film Festival in the United States. Human rights violations and corporate malpractices hidden behind the industry’s growth are challenges that must be resolved to ensure the sustainable development of K-POP.