Bae Hyun-jung alleges unfair contract in K-pop festival project

South Korean lawmaker Bae Hyun-jung has raised serious allegations regarding the 'Phenomenon' global K-pop festival, claiming the contract structure is heavily biased toward private interests, specifically JYP Entertainment.

During a radio interview, Bae asserted that while the government is expected to invest tens of billions of won into the project, the state holds 0% equity. She noted that even for domestic operations where JYP holds a 50% stake, the government must seek JYP’s permission to commercially use trademarks. Furthermore, she claimed that 100% of overseas trademarks currently belong to JYP, and there is no legal obligation for the company to transfer these to a dedicated entity.

Bae also criticized Park Jin-young, co-chairman of the Popular Culture Exchange Committee, alleging a discrepancy between his public testimony and private remarks. While Park told the National Assembly that participating companies would suffer losses, Bae claims he privately admitted that state support is necessary because private sector implementation is difficult.

The lawmaker further characterized the contract as poorly drafted, noting the absence of specific implementation dates and pointing out that the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism had only provided a seal without a printed name. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has reportedly acknowledged the unfairness of the contract and pledged to prepare a revised version by the upcoming comprehensive audit.