A shocking story has emerged about a rookie girl group member who alleged she was sexually harassed by the CEO of her agency. The girl group member is speculated to be Gaeun of MADEIN.
On November 22, JTBC’s 'Crime Chief' reported that a member of a multinational girl group that debuted in September had accused the company’s co-founder and CEO of inappropriate behavior.
According to the report, the member, identified as "A," invited her then-boyfriend to her dorm after a performance on October 5. When the CEO discovered this, he allegedly proposed that "A" act as his “girlfriend for a day.”
In a recorded conversation, "A" revealed, “I asked the CEO, ‘Please let me end my activities with this promotion. That’s my wish.’ He replied, ‘If I grant your wish, will you grant mine?’ and then said, ‘My wish is for you to be my girlfriend for a day. Will you do it?’”
She also claimed that during the interaction, the CEO forcibly kissed her, attempted to use his tongue, licked her neck and ears, and inappropriately touched her despite her repeated refusals over two hours.
Feeling conflicted but wanting to continue her career, "A" agreed to the CEO’s proposal, expecting it to involve only a casual outing. However, she alleged that the CEO locked the office door, groped her, forcibly kissed her at the movie theater, and continued to touch her inappropriately despite her protests.
The agency’s legal representative stated, “The member told the CEO, ‘If you let me stay in the team, I’ll be your girlfriend for a day.’ She also asked to see a movie. There is video evidence of the two riding in a car together, and their interactions seemed normal.”
However, during a meeting with the members' parents, the CEO admitted, “I made a clear mistake.” When confronted by one parent about allegedly taking "A" to late-night movies multiple times, the CEO denied it, saying, “It only happened once.”
Despite initially denying the allegations, the CEO eventually apologized after being questioned further by the parents. He promised to step down from his position and refrain from further contact with the members, although he stated that disbanding the group would be difficult due to shareholder involvement.
The situation worsened when the CEO accompanied the group on a flight to Japan shortly after promising to stay away, sitting next to "A." This incident left "A" and other members deeply shaken. "A" reportedly trembled throughout the flight due to fear.
Following this, "A" suspended her activities, citing health issues. According to reports, the CEO tried to manipulate the other members by portraying "A" as the aggressor while casting himself as the victim. He allegedly pressured the members by saying, “If this goes public and the company suffers, do you know how much compensation you’ll owe?”
The CEO maintains that there was no sexual misconduct and that physical contact, such as hugs, was consensual. However, "A's" parents have insisted that the sexual harassment claims are true and have called for the CEO to cut all ties with the group.
The group in question is reportedly MADEIN, which debuted on September 3 under 143 Entertainment. The group includes both Korean and Japanese members, with the Korean member identified as "Gaeun," born in 2005, making her 18 at the time of the alleged incident. Gaeun announced her temporary suspension from activities due to health reasons on November 11.
Gaeun later removed all posts from her Instagram account, unfollowed the agency and related accounts, and erased the group name from her profile, further fueling speculation.
143 Entertainment, founded in 2020 by producer and rapper Digital Masta, is home to MADEIN and iKON. The agency has yet to provide a clear resolution to the controversy.
MADEIN continues to promote their debut EP, 'Rise,' featuring the title track "UNO," with activities in both Korea and Japan.
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