In the wake of the Netflix documentary “I Am a God” that sparked nationwide anger toward a pseudo-religious group, Starship Entertainment has boycotted Shinara Records, headed by Kim Ki-soon, who is also the chairman of the group’s holding company.
According to insiders in the K-pop industry on March 22, Starship Entertainment excluded Shinara Records from the list of sales sites for the upcoming first full-length album of girl group IVE, which is set to be released on April 10.
The list of sales sites included Hot Tracks, Aladin, and YES24, but the exclusion of Shinara Records, a traditional powerhouse in idol album sales, is exceptional. Speculation has arisen that the boycott was a response to public backlash against the pseudo-religious group following the airing of “I Am a God.”
Shinara Records, founded in 1982, is a record chain store run by Media Shinara. It is still chaired by Kim Ki-soon, and the CEO is said to be Shin Ok-hee, who is known as Kim Ki-soon’s closest aide. In particular, among idol fans, the phrase “online purchases must be made only through Shinara Records” circulated as an official recommendation to accumulate album sales records that significantly affect music show rankings.
However, after the airing of “I Am a God,” when it became known that Shinara Records was the main source of income for Kim Ki-soon, the leader of the pseudo-religious group “Agadol Mountain,” K-pop fans began a boycott of Shinara Records. In fact, even among IVE fans, there is a mood that supports this measure. Not only Starship Entertainment but also other entertainment agencies are reportedly considering boycotting events such as fan sign events held by Shinara Records.
Meanwhile, the Agadol Mountain group filed a preliminary injunction request to suspend the airing of “I Am a God” against Netflix Korea on March 20. The reason given by Netflix Korea is that they are only a subscription contract provider, not a broadcast rights holder, unlike Netflix Worldwide (US). However, an injunction against the production company MBC and the PD in charge was maintained.
