Allegations of sexual harassment have surfaced against the CEO of a K-pop agency, involving a member of a newly debuted girl group. According to a report aired on JTBC’s “Scandal Supervisor” on November 22, the CEO is accused of sexually harassing the young artist.
While no names were dropped, all the evidence leads to Gaeun and MADEIN’s agency 143 Entertainment’s CEO. According to reports, the 19-year-old idol contacted JTBC to expose the CEO.
As reported by JTBC, the incident occurred when a member of a multinational girl group, who debuted in September, had her boyfriend visit their dorm. The CEO discovered this and allegedly pressured the member, making a disturbing demand: that she pretend to be his girlfriend for a day.
A recorded conversation was also played where the CEO is recorded saying, “Then my wish is you become my girlfriend for one day, are you gonna do it for me?”
The member recounted a traumatic experience, alleging that the CEO made unwanted advances, including forcibly trying to kiss her and making explicit requests. Despite her clear refusal, he reportedly continued to touch her inappropriately for 2 hours.
According to “Scandal Supervisor,” the agency claims the member willingly offered to be the CEO’s “girlfriend for a day” in exchange for staying in the group. They also point to a video of the two discussing their wishes in a car, saying it shows no signs of a casual relationship.
However, a leaked recording of a meeting between the CEO, the member’s parents, and an agency rep tells a different story. When a parent asked for the truth, the rep admitted to making a mistake.
Earlier this month, Gaeun removed MADEIN from her bio and unfollowed the agency’s CEO on Instagram. Shortly after this move, 143 Entertainment released an official statement announcing her hiatus for health reasons.