On September 12, South Korea's Education, Culture, Sports, & Tourism Committee delivered an analysis report of formal lawsuit consultations received in the popular culture and arts field from May through August of this year, on behalf of the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA).
Of 163 total consultation requests received in the 4 month period, 75 of the requests consisted of requests filed by trainees or celebrities, regarding friction with their entertainment agencies - mostly in the area of an entertainment agency demanding excessive fees in the trainee contract, or an entertainment agency's violation of contract.
One trainee 'A' confessed, "After casting me on the streets, the agency continued to aske me for fees meant to pay for my 'training'." A rookie idol 'B' likewise revealed, "I am in the process of drawing up an exclusive contract in order to make my idol debut, but the agency is demanding investment funds from me. Is this really lawful?"
One trainee 'C' and her parent claimed that they decided to file a lawsuit against C's agency, after the agency received payment demanded by a trainee contract, but failed to provide any training. Other consultation requests questioned whether or not minor trainees under 15 years old were lawfully allowed to "work" or "train" past 11 PM.
A representative from the Education, Culture, Sports, & TourismCommittee warned, "There have been many occurrences of unstable entertainment agencies asking for money from youths whose dreams are become celebrities. Those wishing to become trainees or celebrities must check to ensure that the agency in question is a proper agency registered with the Korea Entertainment Management Association (KEMA), or a properly registered education facility." In addition, agencies requiring trainees to provide fees for training must register for educational classes in advance.
