'Dispatch' exposes the 'covert, private DJ parties' hosted by CJ Corporation CEO Lee Jae Hyun with 'paid female guests'

Lee Jae Hyun, CEO of CJ Corporation, is facing allegations of hosting highly covert "private DJ parties" with paid female guests. 

According to media outlet 'Dispatch' on September 25 KST, these young, beautiful female guests undergo a rigorous "audition" process much like the signature K-Pop audition programs produced by CJ Entertainment. 

Young, beautiful women typically receive a DM invitation from a "casting manager", whose messages typically go: 

"Hello, I'm the casting manager. I'm contacting you about a rooftop lounge party in Chungdam! The party is from 4-6 PM. The pay is 1,500,000~2,000,000 KRW (~ $1,000-1,400 USD). All you have to do is come enjoy the DJ, eat delicious food, and have a good time!"

One informant identified as 'A' told 'Dispatch', "I've been to one of CEO Lee's parties. It was extremely covert, like some undercover mission you see on '007'." 

Once potential guests agree to a meeting with the casting manager, there are several additional steps they must go through before they are allowed in at the fancy party. 

Another informant, 'B', explained that potential guests were told to show up at a cafe in Chungdam-dong for a face-to-face meeting where "4~6 people show up all at once. The casting manager judges your face, your height, and your figure. The meeting lasts no more than 2~3 minutes. It's just to check your appearance. The rest happens through KakaoTalk messages."

Once potential guests pass the "first round" of the auditions, they receive the following directions:

"Tomorrow, please come to Dosan-daero XXX, building OO, floor 1X by 2:30 PM. There is no specific dress code, but you need to dress nice. A lot of guests wear black. If you have nice legs, wear black pantyhose. [The CEO] prefers lean and glamorous figures. Please make sure to wear high heels, at least 9 cm. Do not tie up your hair, wear it down." 

The address sent by the casting manager is, in fact, a hospital, not the address to the party yet. All invited guests must first undergo a COVID test. According to another informant, 'C', guests who test negative for COVID are then sent to a private gallery in Chungdam-dong. From there on, they are given directions in the form of photos with the instructions, "Walk as shown in the photos." 

The party itself was to take place on the rooftop of a fashion retail store 160 meters away from the gallery. 

'D', who was invited to the parties a few times but failed to make it onto the "fixed guests" list, complained, "A friend I brought along with me got chosen to play his mistress, so she didn't even dance. She told me that once you're on the 'fixed list', you're invited to another party on Friday night. There are also private trips reserved for 'fixed list' guests. I heard you get paid 10 million KRW (~ $7,000 USD) if you go on a 3-day trip." 

'Dispatch' followed this story for 2-months, meeting 8 informants. Based on the information gathered, CEO Lee Jae Hyun's "private parties" typically proceeded in the following steps:

1. Phones are confiscated.

2. Lee Jae Hyun arrives, everyone stands up. 

3. Lee Jae Hyun makes small talk with the guests.

4. The female guests go on stage one by one and dance ("Cheap, 19+ rated dancing, like you see the BJs doing on camera for money.")
5. Cheer on Lee Jae Hyun while he DJs.

6. Head to a restaurant for a meal prepared by a star chef.
7. Leave the party after collecting your envelope with the cash payment.
8. The guest who performed the sexiest dance stayed behind to spend more time with Lee Jae Hyun.

Furthermore, one informant familiar with the setup of the parties revealed, "These parties usually cost around at least 20 million KRW (~ $14,000 USD). He has hosted multiple parties in one week." 

Meanwhile, the superconglomerate CJ Corporation is best known globally for its 'BIBIGO' food products like Korean dumplings and ready-made meals, the drug store 'Olive Young', the cable broadcasting channels tvN and Mnet and the streaming service TVING, multiple film and content production studios such as Studio Dragon, and a variety of entertainment productions, agencies, and ventures, including the popular 'Produce' and 'Girls/Boys Planet' audition program series.