[talk] Why New Jeans Honey is participating in the National Assembly Inspection of the Environment and Labor Committee as a reference person

Legally, workers are considered to be people who have entered into an employment contract, but the contract between the artist and the company is classified as a service contract rather than an employment contract.

In order to be recognized as a workplace bully, the artist must legally prove that he or she is a worker. However, artists have been in a blind spot of labor law because it is difficult to confirm their worker status for the reasons listed above.

Recently, the National Assembly held a discussion on 'Idols who went to the National Assembly, Labor and Human Rights of Children and Adolescents Hidden Behind the Success of K-POP' to resolve this issue. Then, the Hive incident broke out, and New Jeans' Hani, who said on a live broadcast that she had personally experienced bullying in the workplace, was selected as a witness.

And, in addition to artists, the state audit is also expected to include workers from other industries that are in legal blind spots due to the lack of legal protections for various occupations.

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Attorney Noh Jong-eon looked into the issue of the legal status of idols. He explained that idols are artists and products that generate sales for their agencies. He also added that it is difficult to view them as workers under an exclusive contract and that it is a special form of partnership agreement. He said, “In reality, they are in a power-hungry relationship and are part of the agency and are controlled by the agency, so they seem to have some of the characteristics of workers.”

He emphasized that such idols need safety measures to maintain their minimum dignity as human beings. Attorney Noh added, “If unpaid settlement money is not protected, the agency or the agency’s representative should pay or take responsibility. There should be a structure that prepays an amount equivalent to the minimum wage.”

Cho Jeong-hee, head of the Children and Adolescents Human Rights Division at the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, complained, “There have been many violations of idol trainees’ right to sleep, right to rest, right to learn, etc. The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism have made several recommendations, but not much has been reflected.” She also emphasized that revision of laws related to children and adolescents is essential.