Entertainment agencies will work out guidelines to protect the basic rights of teenage entertainers and those who aspire to become entertainers. Minister of Gender Equality and Family Kim Kum-lae met officials of five major entertainment agencies in Seoul Friday and discussed ways to protect teenage entertainers and those who wish to become entertainers. Among those present at the meeting held at the Korea Press Center were officials of JYP, Cube and Can Entertainment.
A ministry official said participants expressed concerns that many allegedly suffered from extortion of money and harsh treatment.
They stressed the need to map out guidelines to provide young people with proper information on entertainment agencies, and prevent inappropriate treatment and infringement on human rights, the official said.
He pointed out a typical fraud that a person, who calls oneself an entertainment agency official, recruits aspirants through the so-called “street casting” and has them register with hagwon where monthly fees amount to hundreds of thousands of won.
An entertainment agency official said, “Our agency has never demanded money. But there are young people who have no idea about this and become victims of fraud.”
In recent months, sexual assaults against teenage entertainers and those who wish to become entertainers have triggered a backlash. About 10.3 percent of entertainers and aspirants for the job said they had exposed their breasts, according to a 2010 survey of 103 entertainers and aspirants which was conducted by the Youth Policy Analysis and Evaluation Center. Sixty percent of them said they were forced to do it by agencies.
About a half of teenage entertainers and aspirants questioned said they were asked to get their weight down and deprived of rights to study, the survey said.
Source: Koreatimes
A ministry official said participants expressed concerns that many allegedly suffered from extortion of money and harsh treatment.
They stressed the need to map out guidelines to provide young people with proper information on entertainment agencies, and prevent inappropriate treatment and infringement on human rights, the official said.
He pointed out a typical fraud that a person, who calls oneself an entertainment agency official, recruits aspirants through the so-called “street casting” and has them register with hagwon where monthly fees amount to hundreds of thousands of won.
An entertainment agency official said, “Our agency has never demanded money. But there are young people who have no idea about this and become victims of fraud.”
In recent months, sexual assaults against teenage entertainers and those who wish to become entertainers have triggered a backlash. About 10.3 percent of entertainers and aspirants for the job said they had exposed their breasts, according to a 2010 survey of 103 entertainers and aspirants which was conducted by the Youth Policy Analysis and Evaluation Center. Sixty percent of them said they were forced to do it by agencies.
About a half of teenage entertainers and aspirants questioned said they were asked to get their weight down and deprived of rights to study, the survey said.
Source: Koreatimes