Bae Hyun-jin: “It’s not true that the four companies will lose money ... Park Jin-young says different things with and without a microphone”

[Financial News] After raising allegations of preferential treatment related to the global K-pop festival Phenomenon with Park Jin-young, co-chair of the Popular Culture Exchange Committee, during an audit on the 7th, People Power Party lawmaker Bae Hyun-jin pointed out, “There’s a discrepancy between what he says when there’s a microphone and what he says when there isn’t.”
Speaking on SBS Radio’s “Kim Tae-hyun’s Political Show” on the 12th, Bae said, “At the audit, Chair Park said the four companies had agreed to hold Phenomenon despite suffering losses of tens of billions of won. But when he spoke to me privately, he said it was difficult for the private sector to do it and that the government was needed.”
At the audit on the 7th, Park had said, “If the leading artists from the four companies don’t take part in Phenomenon and instead perform separately, they’ll make two or three times as much,” adding, “So it’s hard to say they’re receiving preferential treatment.”
Bae responded, “That’s not true,” adding, “I think there may be a need on the part of the private sector, particularly for JYP, among the four companies.”
She added, “This contract has no end date, so the government will keep spending tens of billions of won on it indefinitely, while the state receives no rights or income at all.”
Bae raised concerns, saying, “From its launch on October 1, 2025, through six months into the following year, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism did nothing.” She added, “By the time JYP had filed for all the trademarks in Mexico and Japan, about five months had passed. I believe this was a dereliction of duty and an abdication of responsibility by the ministry.”
She continued, “I was pointing out a problem with the contract the state had entered into with a particular private company, and the minister of culture acknowledged that it was an unfair and flawed contract.” She added, “He said he would prepare a proposal for a new contract by the National Assembly’s comprehensive audit on the 23rd.”
She also claimed, “The contract doesn’t specify a date for when it will take effect, and the minister of culture’s seal is on it, but his name isn’t.” She added that Chair Park had also acknowledged that these various issues were “very poorly handled.”
Asked whether Park would appear again at the comprehensive audit on the 23rd, Bae said, “Since we’ve heard Chair Park’s position, I wonder if we need to call him back.” She added, “This is a state-run project, so the minister in charge of the Culture Ministry must now take responsibility.”
[email protected] Ahn Ga-eul Reporter