The Korea Management Union has released an official statement regarding the conflict between Kang Daniel and his agency LM Entertainment.

The following is the full statement from the Korea Management Union:

The Korea Management Union (hereafter KMU) expresses our deepest concerns and regret about suspicions – arising from the recent legal battle between Kang Daniel and his agency – that a third party, which lacks the legal rights regulated by the Popular Culture and Art Industry Act, used indecent power to conciliate an artist with a promising future and even stepped in to entice conflicts between [the artist] and the agency.

The KMU is currently looking into various suspicions that are arising from different places and tips that are continuously being submitted. If suspicions of the third party using their power illegally and with malicious intent are confirmed, [the KMU] plans to ask them to take responsibility in accordance of the circumstances based on all the legal rights the organization possesses.

An illegal party lacking to provide functions of a legal agency and deliberately trying to disturb the power of an exclusive contract is a serious problem that puts a shadow on the future of the industry in general as well as agencies that need to be managing and supporting artists, who are the core of Korea’s popular culture industry.

It is even more serious because a party with a personal agenda of obtaining [property and wealth] by committing fraud could start to demolish what had been built by the Hallyu culture until now by degrading a contract’s worth that has the right to be protected by the law.

Thus, the KMU will not abide if the existence of illegal activities or parties that put artists and their agencies at risk is confirmed.

We also plan to take strict measures regarding events where [some parties] are rotting the industry’s root by stating false arguments and making irrational requests to simply terminate contracts without proper reasons. [They do this] despite the fact that contracts represent a just relationship [between the artist and the agency] and have been signed based on a standard exclusive contract recommended by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

The KMU supports a harmonious co-existence of artists and agencies. We will do our best to stop incidents that victimize and drive everyone into a turmoil and to recover a healthy atmosphere for the industry. We sincerely hope that the matter [regarding Kang Daniel and his agency] will be quickly resolved based on a fair decision and negotiation, instead of conflicts and hostility. Thank you.