Experts are calling out for change in the way Korean entertainment companies manage their talent after the recent publicity caused by three members of TVXQ taking legal action against their agency, SM Entertainment, regarding their unfair contracts.
The agreements are now being hailed as “slave contracts” since they often take advantage of rising new stars entering into management agencies. The excessiveness of these contracts was first brought to light with the suicide of Jang Ja-yeon earlier this year and now raises new speculations with the TVXQ law suit.
The contracts often call for stars to work excessive hours as dictated by the company, for extended periods of time (an average contract lasts anywhere from 10-15 years) and are difficult to break. Artists are often not allowed the freedom to make choices in their career paths, receive an unfair distribution of profit and are essentially “owned” by the agency.
According to experts, this type of contract is common in Korea, where companies bring up new stars from scratch versus signing them after they have proven themselves, like most agencies in the U.S.
“From top stars like the late actress Choi Jin-shil and singer Uhm Jung-hwa, celebrities are “made” into stars by their agents and agencies. ” said lawyer and former head of the Korea Entertainment Law Society, Choi Jung-han, in a recent newspaper interview. “These young artists need to be ‘invested in’ for at least 10 years.”
Other experts say that new regulations need to be made to protect artists. The Fair Trade Commission made a recommendation notice regarding this issue last month, which set a standard contract for artists and agencies.
“If the case with TVXQ and SM does not settle down in a proper way, the same incidents will continue again and again. We must revise contract terms regarding the contract periods and profit distribution,” Kim Won-chan, chairman of the Korea Singers Association, said during a radio interview last week.
While nothing is settled yet, many are hoping that the outcome of the TVXQ lawsuit will cause some much-needed changes in Korea’s entertainment business.
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