Asia News: NewJeans Preps Japan; YG Entertainment’s Sustainability Report; Johnny & Associates Abuse; Thailand Tax Waivers

KOREA

NewJeans Preps For Japan

K-pop’s hottest new girl group, NewJeans, will finally make its official Japan debut on June 21 with a special release of a new single, followed by their second Japan fan meet-and-greet on June 26-27 at the iconic Tokyo Dome, a milestone that most acts have to wait years to achieve. Japan is the biggest and most important foreign market for K-pop.

The quintet is scheduled to release a new single on May 24 in Korea that contains several songs, one of which, “Bubble Gum,” has already been picked up as a theme song for a Japanese TV show, according to NewJeans’ agency ADOR. The Japanese version of the single that comes out June 21 will also include two other new songs.

ADOR said, “NewJeans plans to pull off many promotional activities in both Korea and Japan. They are preparing hard to deliver the best for the Bunnies,” which is what members of the group’s official fan club are called. However, the Bunnies Camp shows will not be NewJeans’ first performance in Japan. The group played a short set on the main stage at last year’s Summer Sonic festival in Tokyo, where entrance to the venue had to be restricted due to overcrowding. ADOR has said that the group will embark on a world tour in 2025.

YG Issues Sustainable Concert Report

One of the country’s biggest agencies, YG Entertainment, which reps Blackpink, has released its 2030 Sustainable Concert Report.

The report explains frameworks for making its concert events more sustainable by managing greenhouse gas emissions, improving venue accessibility, requesting fans to participate in emissions-limiting practices, enhancing content impact and reducing emissions at venues themselves.

In order to make these goals a reality, the company will establish a “structured framework by the end of this year and apply this framework to select concerts by 2027 and to all performances by 2030.”

YG says it is the first Korean entertainment company to “measure greenhouse gas emissions at concerts.” Many of these protocols were applied at Blackpink’s “Born Pink” concerts in Seoul last year, which emitted about 6,000 tons for the two shows.

In a statement, YG’s two CEOs, Yang Min-suk and Hwang Bo-kyung, said, “[We are] committed to identifying the environmental and social impacts of concerts, and seeking sustainable solutions. YG believes that embracing sustainable concerts is a crucial step in ensuring the current live music experience and the joy music brings to audiences is passed on to future generations.”

JAPAN

Johnny & Associates Admits Abuse

The talent agency formerly known as Johnny & Associates admitted that two of its former employees had been accused of sexual abuse against performers the company represented.

Last year, a BBC report uncovered decades-long systematic sexual abuse by the company’s founder and CEO, the late Johnny Kitagawa. As a result, the company has changed its name to Smile-Up Inc. and disassociated itself from the Kitagawa family.

Noriyuki Higashiyama, the president of Smile-Up and a former idol with Johnny’s, made the news public in a statement on his website following an interview on the matter with the BBC.

Between the 1960s and 2022, Johnny & Associates was one of the most successful talent agencies in Japan, handling exclusively male singers and actors, and wielding extraordinary power in Japanese media.

THAILAND

Tax Waivers For Live

Thailand’s Board of Investment (BOI) announced a tax waiver for organizers of major international concerts, sporting events and festivals “in an effort to attract big events and strengthen the country’s status as a tourism hub,” according to a report by the Xinhua news agency.

Benefits will be granted to organizers who invest at least 100 million baht ($2.74 million) in their events. The benefits will include “exemption from import duties on equipment and streamlined procedures for temporary visas granted to required foreign staff.”

The BOI secretary said the these benefits should facilitate the production of world-class events by “significantly reducing costs, lead time and obstacles for organizers,” adding that Thailand’s tourism sector accounts for about 20% of the country’s gross domestic product.