Group JYJ that is named by the initials of three young, talented and beautiful men Jaejoong – Yoochun – Junsu is very popular in Korea as well as overseas. After leaving DBSK because of unfair contract issue in 2009 July and standing on their own feet, they recorded the sale of more than 1,200,000 albums. They held and are going to hold concerts in Asia – Europe – North America – Latin America. They are also very active in dramas and musicals. But just a few days before the broadcast of their daily documentary on a cable channel, it was canceled. They have gained the opportunity to bring the documentary that was thrown out to the big screen. However, “as expected”, a few days before the premiere, the theater side notified them of the ‘screening cancellation’. JYJ’s management company C-JeS Entertainment said, “The contract for the screening of documentary The Day in 20 CGV’s complexes from Feb 2nd was sealed. But not long after the press release, CGV informed us that they can’t keep the contract.” After that, suspicion was raised among JYJ’s fans that there was pressure from SM Entertainment, JYJ’s former company that is in the lawsuit with them. CGV denied, “The decision was made because there was a problem in contract procedures, there was no external pressure.”
Let’s suppose that we believe such explanation. Why do uncommon things for other artists keep happening to just JYJ? JYJ can’t appear on broadcast music programs. July last year, KBS Jeju and Jeju Island was to have JYJ to perform in their show. But 4 days before the event, JYJ received a cancellation notice. C-JeS said, “Such things unofficially happen to us more than 2~3 times a week.” According to majority opinion, it’s because the broadcasters are under pressure after the KFPCAI (Korea Federation of Pop Culture and Art Industry) that belongs to gigantic companies requested to each of them to restrict JYJ’s activities. Even though in 2009 as well as last year, the Court has ruled 2 times that ‘JYJ must be ensured their own entertainment activities’, this situation doesn’t change.
SM might want to protest, “Do we even have to take responsibility of the ‘groveling’ manner?” However, that is the essence of power. SM will suffer from incessant suspicion because of that ‘entertainment power’ that doesn’t put an end to the legal battle between SM and JYJ. SM, the home of K-pop that gave birth to the global Hallyu, must seek ways to gloriously conclude the lawsuit with JYJ. I hope the result of the investigation that FTC has conducted for almost a year on SM interfering JYJ’s activities will be revealed as soon as possible. If stopping the tyranny of large companies and opening up livelihood opportunities for SME (Small and Medium Enterprises) is called ‘Economic Democracy’, the recovery of JYJ’s ‘social citizenship’ will be part of that.
Source: Khan News
Translation by: The_little_pear of JYJ3