K-pop management agencies under fire for allegedly mistreating idols

VCHA's American member KG / Image captured from Instagram

Allegations of mistreatment within K-pop management agencies are once again under the spotlight as KG, an American member of JYP Entertainment's multinational girl group VCHA, accused the company of mistreatment and filed a lawsuit to terminate her contract. While JYP expressed "deep regret" over the claims, growing concerns about harsh working conditions, unfair contracts and mental health neglect continue to highlight issues behind the K-pop industry's glittering facade.

VCHA, a girl group designed to target a wider global audience, was formed through a joint project between JYP Entertainment and Republic Records, a U.S. label under Universal Music Group.

Consisting with winners of a survival reality show "A2K," VCHA officially debuted with single "Girls of the Year" in January and released another single "Only One" in March. The group's six members — KG, Lexi, Camila, Kendall, Savanna and Kaylee — hail from the U.S. and Canada, with their diverse ethnic backgrounds including Caucasian, Latina, Black, Korean, Vietnamese and Hmong.

Earlier on Sunday, KG had revealed the allegations via Instagram Stories, alleging that she had decided to terminate her contract with JYP and depart VCHA after experiencing "incidents of abuse and mistreatment by certain staff members."

"I am not in support of the working and living conditions that led a member to attempt suicide. Nor do I support an environment that encourages eating disorders and has caused members to self-harm," the 17-year-old wrote.

She alleged that she had been subjected to "unfair treatment" by the agency, stating, "I have accumulated a massive amount of company debt, while being paid very little for the intense work and extreme limitations on our personal lives."

While she refrained from blaming individuals, KG called the issue "deeply embedded in the K-pop industry."

"I hope that my leave can encourage the K-pop system to make changes for the better, in hopes of protecting the idols and trainees who remain in these companies' hands," she concluded.

Members of VCHA perform onstage during fellow JYP Entertainment girl group TWICE's Mexico concert, Feb. 2 (local time), at the Mexico City Foro Sol. Courtesy of Live Nation

JYP USA Entertainment responded to the allegations made by KG in a statement issued Monday.

"In May this year, KG left group residence and initiated discussions through her legal representatives. In response, we temporarily suspended VCHA's planned activities and engaged in extensive discussions with KG's representatives to explore potential resolutions," the statement read.

The agency added that they "have not received any response from KG's representatives, leaving our legal representatives awaiting further communication."

"We deeply regret KG's decision to file a lawsuit and make unilateral public statements containing false and exaggerated claims," the company said. "This action has caused significant harm to the other members of VCHA and JYP USA, who have been working diligently on their upcoming album and projects for early 2025."

The statement concluded with a commitment to protect the remaining VCHA members.

"JYP USA will take all necessary measures to ensure that neither the other members of VCHA nor JYP USA suffer further harm as a result of this matter," it said.

JYP Entertainment headquarters in Seoul / Korea Times File

Exhausting conditions

KG's allegations are the latest in a string of legal battles involving K-pop idols and their agencies.

In June 2023, EXO members Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin filed a complaint with the Fair Trade Commission against their former agency, SM Entertainment, accusing the label of forcing them to sign unfair contracts. The trio claimed they had not been provided with clear payment details since their 2012 debut and were pressured into signing excessively long "slave contracts."

Similarly, all 12 members of now-disbanded girl group Loona filed legal actions following member Chuu's 2021 attempt to terminate her contract with BlockBerry Creative, citing unfair profit distribution and overwork.

Experts say these cases highlight the harsh realities behind K-pop's flashy fr0nt.

"The work for K-pop idols is emotionally and physically exhausting," said CedarBough T. Saeji, assistant professor of Korean and East Asian studies at Pusan National University.

"They work incredibly long hours, often seven days a week for months in a row... (with) no clearly defined periods of rest," she told a foreign media outlet in November.

NewJeans member Hanni's appearance at a National Assembly audit in October also served as an attempt to highlight these issues, emphasizing the importance of protecting K-pop idols under labor laws to ensure fair treatment.

"Exploitation of the workers is accepted because they are not regular employees and there is no labor union, or clearly we can now see, no governmental agency to advocate for humane working conditions for them," Saeji said.