Former Lusty member Song Chaea reveals agency’s abuses, shares life after group’s sudden disbandment

Song Chaea, formerly of the girl group Lusty, has opened up about the mistreatment she faced from her agency during her idol career.

On February 10, the YouTube channel 1ma2c uploaded a video titled, 'The Girl Group That Suddenly Retired 5 Years Ago: Visiting Their Home. A Second Life with a New Career – Song Chaea.' In the video, Song, who performed under the name Harin in the past, shared updates on her current life as a shopping host.

Introducing her home, where she lives with her mother, Song reflected, “Back then, we lived in dorms infested with cockroaches, next to a garbage dump. Compared to that, this place feels like a hotel,” accompanied by a smile. Song debuted with Lusty in June 2019, but revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic forced the group to halt activities the following January. “We couldn’t even go home and were stuck between the company and the dorms. Eventually, in 2021, I had to get help from a lawyer and the government to leave,” she explained.

She recounted being treated like a “debtor” by the agency. “We didn’t earn any profits. They said even breathing was a debt. I believe we were owed a significant amount of money from the company, but in the end, I didn’t get nearly 10% of what I expected,” she said.

Song also disclosed that the agency CEO forced her to perform internet broadcasts. “At first, they said it was to communicate with overseas fans during the pandemic, but then it turned into earning money. It wasn’t strange, but they specifically made me, as the leader, and one other member, do it,” she recalled.

“I really didn’t want to do it, but we were told to, so we did. I even brought some money to the company. But the contract stated a 70:30 profit split, which was never honored. For the first couple of months, I got 1 million KRW (about 690 USD), then it was reduced to 500,000 KRW (about 345 USD),” she added.

Song revealed she experienced years of gaslighting from the CEO. “Being isolated from the world due to COVID, I did everything to gain their favor. But even then, I never truly received it, which made me face reality,” she said.

Feeling left behind, Song took on various part-time jobs after leaving the agency. Even after establishing herself as a shopping host, she continues to work part-time on days without broadcasts. Reflecting on her 20s, she said, “If I speak positively, it was a life experience. If negatively, I wasted it. Doing nothing makes me too anxious.” She added, “Being impatient never helps. My goal now is to focus on my own path, without worrying about others.”