Danielle from the girl group, NewJeans, is 19 years old. Haerin and Hyein are respectively 18 and 16 years old. The youngest member of the group, IVE, Leeseo, is just 17. They've all enjoyed freedom in their activities, having had no restrictions based on working hours.

Typically, K-pop idols alternate between active periods and rest, maximizing their output when the spotlight is on them. However, the 'Lee Seung-gi Act', currently under discussion in the Korean Congress, threatens to dramatically limit their activities. Critics within the industry fear the constraints on work hours could undermine K-pop's growth potential.

Several popular music industry organizations have voiced their opposition to parts of the proposed revision to the Pop Culture and Arts Industry Act, more commonly known as the 'Lee Seung-gi Act'. The proposed law aims to prevent unfair treatment of artists by their agencies.

Five major organizations, including the Korea Management Federation, the Korean Entertainment Producers Association, the Korean Record Industry Association, the Korean Music Label Industry Association, and the Korea Music Content Association, issued a joint statement on May 16th.

The statement expressed concern that the proposed revision could inadvertently worsen the conditions for pop culture artists. It argued that the revision fails to reflect reality and could only harm the industry's growth potential. Particular issues were raised with the provisions aimed at protecting underage pop culture artists. The revision proposes limiting the working hours of artists aged 15 and above to 35 hours per week, 30 hours for those aged 12-15, and 25 hours for those under 12. This is a similar restriction to the 52-hour workweek rule for employees.

The five organizations agree with the proposal for agencies to regularly disclose their accounts. However, they critique the work hour restrictions as unrealistic. They argue that if the law is amended in its current form, it will be difficult to address the real issues affecting the conditions of cultural artists.

These organizations pointed out, "There are already provisions in current law limiting the service provision time for adolescents." They argue that strengthening regulations without sufficient discussion with the industry could end up hindering the development of pop culture artists.

Indeed, most leading idol groups include underage members. NewJeans, for instance, enjoys massive popularity with more than half of its members being underage. If the proposed amendment becomes law, these groups could face significant obstacles in their activities. For instance, travel procedures, flight times, waiting times, and local travel times for international trips are all counted as work hours. This could make overseas activities virtually impossible. Other groups like IVE and Le Sserafim face similar issues.

The current 'idol training system' also clashes with the proposed revision. Aspiring idols typically start training in their early teens. If the proposed revision passes, the time they can devote to pursuing their dream will be limited to at most 25 hours a week. This could become a burden not only for the aspiring idols but also for the agencies investing in them.

An industry insider, Mr. A, criticized the proposed revision, stating, "The problematic part of the proposed revision is the 'part about youth labor'. Being an entertainer is not a job where you start and finish at specific times. Makeup or moving from one place to another are all considered working hours. If we follow the proposed revision, normal activities will be difficult."

Another insider, Mr. B, anticipates that "most industry insiders will explode with complaints". He mentioned, "There were problems from the start when creating the revision. The Korean Music Content Association was excluded from reflecting its opinions. Most of the proposed revision is acceptable, but the

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