"JYJ Law" Prohibiting Blacklisting of Celebrities Passed

The “JYJ Law,” a proposed amendment to Korea’s broadcasting act preventing third parties from blacklisting certain individuals or groups from appearing on television — which failed to pass earlier in June of this year — has been passed by the National Assembly.

Specifically, the amendment prohibits broadcasting companies from preventing appearances of an individual or group on a show due to a third party’s request that is unrelated to the production of a show, or due to a request that comes from a third party even after a certain individual or group has been legally cleared to appear on a show. 

If a broadcasting company violates this policy, the Korea Communications Commission can issue a corrective order or charge a fine of up to two percent of the company’s sales.

Assemblywoman Choi Min Hee, who was at the head of this proposal, said, “With this law, the rights of artists like JYJ whose television appearances have been interfered with as well as the rights of the fans who want to see these artists on television are guaranteed.”

JYJ’s agency C-JeS said, “We’ve fought with the unfair conditions for seven years, and we’re thankful that we weren’t alone in opposing it. We hope that with this amendment, these unjust actions will no longer occur in the entertainment industry.”

However, doubt remains, as the decision of who appears on shows has always been and remains the show producer’s right, making application of the law potentially difficult. Even when JYJ’s fans had protested the prevention of the group appearing on shows, producers had denied such accusations, saying that they’re the ones that have the final say in show casting.

One entertainment agency director said, “I don’t expect this amendment to immediately pave the way for JYJ to appear on music programs. However, because it is a law put forth to protect the rights of celebrities, I believe the producers will remain within the boundaries of the law and try to maintain equity to avoid controversy.”

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