Decolonising the Oriental and Self-Oriental Understanding of K-Pop Idol System: Localities in Exclusive Contract Disputes from Tvxq to Fifty Fifty

With the global rise of K-pop, complex questions within the K-pop idol system are coming to the surface. As an alternative theorisation of cultural hybridity, it extends its scope beyond conventional disciplinary boundaries to encompass politics, law, society and ethics. This study goes beyond the Western-centric focus on K-pop idols and the value system (the so-called idol system) to explore its socio-political and legal aspects. It focuses on the prevailing exclusive contracts that bind artists (idols) to management agencies (entertainment companies). Although initially hailed as innovative and essential, these contracts have come under scrutiny for their length and potential to exploit artists. This study analyses in detail the historical background of exclusive contract disputes, highlighting, in particular, their evolution from the emergence of the idol system to the current issues. Tracing the controversial contract issues from the TVXQ case in 2009 to the complex challenges posed by the Fifty Fifty case in 2023 sheds light on the obstacles facing the industry. These elements are central to the promotion of a sustainable and ethically grounded K-pop industry in the post-Fordist era. These efforts are intricately intertwined within a framework of locality in the K-pop ecosystem, recognising the profound impact of the Korean context of the idol system in de-colonial interpretation. Eurocentric perspectives and colonial histories strongly influence our ways of interpreting the idol system as inhumane labour principles. I argue the orientalist and self-oriented understanding of the idol system needs alternative interpretations and instead explores the dynamics of subjectivity and othering.