» Internet broadcasting station ilovejyj.com’s website, above, and a Seoul City subway station advertisement in support of JYJ.
By Lim Ji-sun
The Internet broadcasting site “ilovejyj.com” went into operation on Mar. 3. At 8 p.m. that evening, the time of its inaugural broadcast, the server went down, flooded by Internet user connections. Fans of the trio JYJ had come storming in to watch. The inaugural broadcast ended up being pushed back a day, with additional special inaugural broadcasts held on Mar. 5 and 6.
The site began service through the concerted efforts of fans lamenting the fact that JYJ has been unable to appear on terrestrial television networks. Funding and staffing for the site’s inauguration consisted purely of donations by fans. Some seventy fans, including 13 production team members, three video team members, seven web page production staff members, three sound team members, and seven Chinese and Japanese translators, lent their talents for the production.
JYJ is a team formed by Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu, three members of the group TVXQ. In July 2009, the three of them filed a lawsuit to annul their exclusive contract with SM Entertainment. In the process, they publicly disclosed unfair provisions in the contract, including a 13-year term of service and revenue sharing of 0.4 to 1 percent of record sales. In October 2010, they released their first album, “The Beginning.”
Fans, however, were unable to see their faces on terrestrial networks. Yoochun enjoyed skyrocketing popularity last year with his starring role on the KBS miniseries “Sungkyunkwan Scandal,” but was shunned by music video networks and entertainment programs.
An entertainment show producer at one terrestrial network admitted, “Entertainment show producers will not even consider talking to JYJ out of fear that it will spoil their relationship with the big entertainment management agencies.”
On Feb. 21, the 51st civil agreements division of Seoul Central District Court, under Judge Kim Dae-ung, delivered an indirect compulsory performance order ruling that SM Entertainment “is not to disrupt the entertainment activities of JYJ” and that “if it violates this [ruling] it must pay 20 million Won for each violation.”
The situation did not change. A cable network also abruptly canceled its plans for the “JYJ Reality Program,” which was to begin airing in mid-February.
In response, fans took it upon themselves to set up the Internet network, but running it has not been easy.
JYJ’s public relations official said, “The Internet site was made by fans, so there has been formal discussion on whether JYJ will appear.”
When a video featuring Grand National Party Lawmaker Chun Yu-ok offering her congratulations for the site’s inauguration went up on Mar. 5, fans objected strenuously, arguing that the broadcast “harms JYJ’s image.” As of Tuesday, the site’s managers had temporarily suspended broadcasting, leaving an apology for the content of the broadcast.
Meanwhile, calls from fans for JYJ’s appearance on terrestrial television have increased by the day. On Feb. 28, 86,418 overseas fans of the group submitted a petition to Seoul Central District Court demanding a guarantee that JYJ would be able to appear on television. On Monday, the “League of JYJ Fans” began posting advertisements in 21 Seoul subway stations, including Apgujeong and Hongik University Stations, bearing copy such as “JYJ, We Support Your Youth” and “Kim Jaejoong, Park Yoochun, and Kim Junsu, Take the Express Train to Public Broadcasting.”
Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]
credit: The Hankyoreh
shared by: sharingyoochun.net
shared by: sharingyoochun.net
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