The Impact of #MeToo on Artist Rights in Japan and Korea

Episode 6: Contracts & Control — Defending Artist Rights

The first five episodes of this series peeled back the curtain on the hidden costs of stardom: perfectionism and cyberbullying, the tragedies of celebrity suicides, scandals weaponized by cancel culture, defamation and social-media witch hunts, and toxic fandom.

In our penultimate chapter, we turn to the structural backbone of Japanese and Korean entertainment — the contract.

Who really owns an idol’s name, time, and body? How long should an artist be bound to a company? And what happens when an entertainer speaks up or tries to leave? This episode explores the balance of power between agencies and performers. It also looks at the reforms aiming to make the industry more humane.

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How the Idol System Entraps Talent

Behind every debut lies a mountain of paperwork. Japan and Korea developed highly centralized idol systems in which agencies scout, train, and market performers — often from adolescence.
In Korea, trainees sign so-called “slave contracts” lasting ten or more years, often accruing debt for lessons that leave them financially bound for years.

In Japan, many contracts omit key details entirely. A Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) investigation revealed that about 30 % of talent agencies failed to explain contract terms, leaving performers vulnerable to hidden clauses and penalties (pymnts.com). Agency rules can dictate everything from dating and social media use to hair color — refusal can mean career ruin.

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Japan: Blacklisting, Stage Names, and #MeToo Reckonings

The Price of Leaving an Agency

Japanese show business has long operated on unwritten codes of loyalty. When stars leave powerful agencies, they often face blacklisting.

• Fumika Shimizu claimed she was forced into exhausting schedules, paid only ¥50,000 per month, and compelled to wear revealing outfits. After criticizing her agency, she disappeared from mainstream TV (Arama! Japan).
• SMAP’s attempted 2016 departure from Johnny & Associates led to widespread speculation they were unofficially banned from TV for two years.
• Namie Amuro faced her agency’s attempt to trademark her own name when she went solo.
• Rena Nounen (now “Non”) had to change her stage name after her agency tried to extend her contract without consent.

The JFTC warned Johnny & Associates in 2019 for pressuring networks not to hire ex-SMAP members — a possible antimonopoly violation. A year later, allegations of sexual abuse against founder Johnny Kitagawa forced the agency to rebrand as Starto Entertainment in 2023 (Variety). Critics saw this as more cosmetic than transformational.

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#MeToo Reckonings — Cracks in the Wall of Silence

While the #MeToo movement began globally in 2017, its ripple through Japan’s entertainment world arrived slowly and cautiously. The reluctance stemmed from tight agency control, media self-censorship, and a social culture that values harmony over confrontation.

1 Shiori Ito and the Beginning of Accountability
In 2017, journalist Shiori Ito publicly accused a high-profile TV reporter of rape — a move unprecedented in Japan. She later won civil damages in 2019, a landmark ruling that inspired other women to speak out. Ito’s activism triggered a gradual conversation about consent, workplace power dynamics, and how entertainment companies handle misconduct. Yet she was relentlessly harassed online and effectively blacklisted from major broadcasters, demonstrating the price of defiance (France 24).

2 Fuji TV and the 2024–25 Wave
By 2024, the dam had cracked. The Fuji TV sexual-harassment scandal erupted when multiple female employees and talents alleged harassment by senior producers and external directors. Their testimonies, backed by investigative journalists, exposed a pervasive culture of silence in Japan’s television industry.

• Impact: Advertisers temporarily suspended campaigns; industry observers compared the moment to Hollywood’s Weinstein reckoning.
• Outcome: Fuji TV issued a formal apology, suspended executives, and introduced an independent ethics committee.
• Why it matters: The case forced public broadcasters and major agencies such as Starto Entertainment and Amuse to re-evaluate internal grievance systems and training policies.

3 Agency Reforms and Symbolic Shifts
Following Shiori Ito’s continued advocacy, several major agencies introduced new sexual-harassment reporting channels in 2025. Starto Entertainment announced mandatory workshops for managers and established a third-party “Talent Support Desk.” Meanwhile, Amuse Inc. and LDH Japan pledged to allow external mediators in harassment claims.
These reforms, though largely symbolic at first, represent Japan’s slow but visible move toward institutional accountability.

4 Public Reactions and Fan Solidarity
Unlike the early years of #MeToo, where whistle-blowers were vilified, 2024–25 saw more online solidarity. Fans used hashtags such as #WithHerJapan and #芸能界にもMeTooを (“Bring MeToo to the Entertainment World”) to amplify survivor voices. Surveys by Asahi Shimbun showed a majority of young women supporting stronger legal protections for entertainers and employees in the media sector.

Together, these developments reveal how Japan’s #MeToo movement — though delayed — is beginning to intersect with contractual reform, forcing agencies to address both legal exploitation and sexual power imbalances.

Government Intervention and New Guidelines

Mounting complaints led to JFTC and Cabinet Secretariat guidelines (2024) requiring agencies to:

• specify contract length and termination penalties,
• allow consultation with third parties before signing,
• and justify restrictions on stage-name use.

They warned that obstructing artists from switching agencies could violate antimonopoly law (pymnts.com).

An editorial in Mainichi Shimbun urged Japan’s entertainment industry to seize this as a reform opportunity, noting threats against artists who tried to leave agencies and rampant verbal-only contracts.

By mid-2025, the JFTC continued investigating, signaling gradual but real change.

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The Burden of Morality Clauses

Beyond contracts, Japanese agencies often enforce strict morality clauses, allowing dismissal for scandals.
Episode 3’s cases — Minami Minegishi’s head-shaving apology or Hiroki Narimiya’s forced retirement — showed how reputational damage can end careers overnight.

Journalist Shiori Ito, who sued a TV reporter for rape, called the Fuji TV 2024–25 scandal a test of Japan’s willingness to confront abuse. Ito criticized media for euphemizing sexual violence as “trouble” and noted that survivors face trolling and ostracism (France 24).

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South Korea: “Slave Contracts,” Court Battles, and Reform

Early Lawsuits

In 2009, Han Geng (Super Junior) sued SM Entertainment over a 13-year contract. Courts later ruled artists could terminate after seven years. The Korean Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) then banned exploitative clauses and introduced standard templates — but enforcement remains inconsistent (Legal Cheek).

NewJeans vs ADOR

In 2024–25, NewJeans clashed with their label ADOR (under Hybe). After creative director Min Hee-jin’s ouster, members demanded her reinstatement and filed to terminate their contracts. A Seoul court issued an injunction preventing performances outside ADOR. Their appeal failed, showing how injunctions can paralyze artists’ careers (Digital Music News).

Chuu vs Blockberry Creative

In 2023, singer Chuu won a landmark ruling freeing her from Blockberry Creative’s 2017 contract after proving unfair profit distribution. The court invalidated her exclusive deal and ordered the agency to pay legal costs (Hindustan Times).

The “Fifty Fifty Act”

Following the collapse of Fifty Fifty, lawmaker Ha Tae-keung proposed the Fifty Fifty Act (Dec 2023), aiming to provide legal aid to smaller agencies and stabilize the industry (Korea JoongAng Daily).

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Government Action and Contract Revisions

In June 2024, Korea’s Culture Ministry revised standard contracts:

• capped initial duration at 7 years,
• required written consent for extensions,
• allowed refusal of unreasonable schedules,
• extended protection of artists’ trademarks post-transfer.
  Major firms — Hybe, SM, YG, JYP, Starship — signed consent decrees with the KFTC to adopt digital contract systems and contribute ₩1 billion to industry safety initiatives (Digital Music News).

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Blackpink: Breaking the Mold

Formed 2016 under YG Entertainment, Blackpink renewed their group contract in Dec 2023 but declined solo extensions. Each member became independently managed — Jennie launched Odd Atelier (OA) (Billboard).
This hybrid structure gives YG the group brand while members own their individual careers.

Their July 2025 single “Jump”, released via YG and The Orchard, became the group’s third Billboard Global 200 #1 (Wikipedia). The track’s success proved that even without full corporate control, artists can thrive creatively and commercially.

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Comparing the Two Systems

Aspect	Japan	South Korea
Contract form	Often verbal or vague	Standardized, written
Length	Flexible but opaque	Max 7 years
Legal remedies	JFTC guidelines, limited enforcement	Stronger courts but slow injunctions
Agency influence	TV blacklists, media control	Centralized training, strict hierarchy
Stage-name rights	Often retained by agency	Governed by trademark law
Reform trend	Antimonopoly scrutiny	Codified standard contracts

Both countries wrestle with parasocial relationships, minor protection, and artist autonomy. Without unions, change relies on lawsuits, fan activism, and public pressure.

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The Path Forward: Empowering Artists

Three pillars are shaping the new era of Asian entertainment:

1. Legal reforms & enforcement – Clear limits on contract length, written agreements, and penalties for blacklisting.
2. Transparency & mental-health support – Contracts should specify payment, schedules, and exits; artists need safe access to counseling.
3. Collective action & fan advocacy – Public outrage forced Starto Entertainment’s rebrand and compelled regulators to act. Fan power and unionization could become the next frontier.

Fame remains a commodity, which keeps agencies seeking control. However, each lawsuit, reform, and artist victory chips away at old hierarchies.
Japan and Korea need to focus on artistry rather than exploitation. If they do, the “dark side” of J- and K-entertainment might start to fade.

Timelines of some events