Talent agencies still unfair

[ashiva.livejournal.com]

Budding entertainers still suffer unfair contracts with talent agencies, with some required to get approval from their agency for overseas travel, according to the nation’s antitrust watchdog.

The Fair Trade Commission said in a statement yesterday it ordered 20 small and midsized talent agencies to correct unfair terms or adopt “standard contract terms” until July 20. A standard contract was proposed after the actress Jang Ja-yeon killed herself in March, leaving notes that said she was maltreated by her former management agency.

Now the FTC is working to set up these standard terms by the end of this month. Amid heightened complaints about Korea’s talent agencies after Jang’s death, the FTC investigated contracts signed between the 20 companies, including YG Entertainment and Barunson Entertainment, and their 203 clients including actors and singers. The agency said it found at least one unfair term in all 203.

In this year’s investigation of the 20 smaller agencies, the FTC said it discovered contract terms that excessively infringe on client privacy or are otherwise advantageous only for the agencies, it said. For example, YG Entertainment, which now manages the idol group Big Bang, bans its entertainers from going abroad or resigning without the agency’s approval. Many agencies, including K&Entertainment, require entertainers to report their locations at all times, while a large number of agencies including DY Entertainment require entertainers to participate in events they sponsor, the FTC said.

Source

Comments

[bunglur.livejournal.com]

well it would be inconvenient if members of groups just ran off to another country or retired and ruined all of their companies plans ok

[yumemiame.livejournal.com]

lol.. iawtc

[shanny-w.livejournal.com]

They would get sued hardcore. Korea will allow a dead woman to be sued so I dont see how entertainers wouldnt get sued for fleeing the country.

[adiscodance.livejournal.com]

you can't quit without approval? yeah because that makes perfect sense.

[shanny-w.livejournal.com]

Seriously that one takes the cake.

[ashiva.livejournal.com]

It's pretty clearly a slave contract.

[kittykitt129.livejournal.com]

...while a large number of agencies including DY Entertainment require entertainers to participate in events they sponsor, the FTC said.
What's wrong with that? They have to get people there somehow.

[ashiva.livejournal.com]

In Korean entertainment business sponsored events are sadly usually more like prostituting events - Company calls some rich business men/women to come over, and then company's artists have to entertain them by serving drinks and more...

[kittykitt129.livejournal.com]

Ah, I see...almost like modern-day geisha activities.

[shanny-w.livejournal.com]

D: and in the jang case sleep with them too

[loverboy.livejournal.com]

bans its entertainers from going abroad or resigning without the agency’s approval.

lol, that makes sense. :/

idk when you are an idol you give up a good chunk of your freedom. And YG must be pretty lax since they let GD party with his model friends and wear what he wears. If they were that concerned with his image they wouldn't let him dress himself. :|

[heesica.livejournal.com]

If they were that concerned with his image they wouldn't let him dress himself.
LOL trufax

[ashiva.livejournal.com]

Actually he has a YG appointed stylist together with whom he chooses what to wear. Also while his outifits mostly cause LOLs among kpop fans outside Korea, in Korea he is for some reason considered a real fashion icon and his crazy outfits are imitated much more than laughed at.

[shanny-w.livejournal.com]

lol his off stage clothes are actually a part of his job. yg wanted his clients to wear similar clothes to their onstage attire even when not performing.

[liu-zhoucheng.livejournal.com]

Even though I feel sorry for all the BB's, the truth is they should have known what they were getting themselves into =/

[ashiva.livejournal.com]

Idk most of them were still kids when they signed up, also company was in unfair power position in contract negotiations considering that most of them had invested years of their lives for training and would have probably signed anything. I'm sure that 30-something person with a work history would look into contract terms in a very different manner, but of course all those companies are sure to sign up their artists when they are still young and stupid.

[liu-zhoucheng.livejournal.com]

True =/ I honestly did not factor that in

[shanny-w.livejournal.com]

When you are a young kid all you think about is being famous not the contractual agreements and legal stuff.

[xcherryblossomx.livejournal.com]

I kinda want to work in a korean talent agency, as a manager or something... Because they really need a global perspective and I have a non official degree in american/latinamerican/ and now asian entertainment XD

[shanny-w.livejournal.com]

bans its entertainers from going abroad or resigning without the agency’s approval.

what the fuck? you cant even quit the company without consent? And reporting your location at all times?

[deazaskia.livejournal.com]

MTE. D:

[shanny-w.livejournal.com]

They should just put track devices on them.

[ashiva.livejournal.com]

After three years working 24/7 he finally gave measly 8-days-long vacation for GD. Does that sound good for you?

[ashiva.livejournal.com]

I wonder what kind of things they investigated as banning of resigning without the agency’s approval didn't ring any alarms.

[deazaskia.livejournal.com]

how about JYP? i think they also treat the artists well.

Many agencies, including K&Entertainment, require entertainers to report their locations at all times
at all times? really? isn't there any privacy even from their own management? no wonder they can never go on a date. ^^

[avirjin.livejournal.com]

JYP got busted sometime last year during the last slave contract crackdown with 9 other companies.

"An artiste lifestyle including companionship, schooling, citizenship, military enlistment, making friends, economic activities, socializing events, transportation will have to be consulted with the company (JYP Entertainment) in advance which means interfering with their personal life."
credit: coolsmurf.wordpress.com

The funny thing is that everything mentioned here (reporting where you go, not being able to quit with permission, and going overseas) was mentioned in that last crackdown as well, so I don't really get how they're looking into all of this. Someone earlier said the last one was based on salary ratios, but idk.