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Manila Bulletin devider Entertainment devider Ex-K-pop girl group member accuses her agency's CEO of sexual harassment

Ex-K-pop girl group member accuses her agency's CEO of sexual harassment

Published Apr 30, 2025 10:56 am

A former member of a K-pop girl group has filed a complaint for sexual harassment against the CEO of her agency. 

Ga-eun, 19, former member of idol group Madein, accused CEO Lee Yong-hak of 143 Entertainment of sexual harassment. She is also seeking a formal apology and the termination of her exclusive contract with the agency. 

Madein (2).jpeg

Madein (1).jpeg

K-pop girl group Madein (Instagram)Gaeun2.jpeg

Former Madein member Ga-eun (X)

On April 29, Ga-eun’s side, including her mother, held a press conference about the sexual harassment, which reportedly happened in October last year. 

During the press conference, a handwritten memorandum allegedly made by Lee Yong-hak was released. 

The memorandum stated, "I sincerely apologize for the sexual harassment. In future contractual relationships with 143 Entertainment, I will step down from the position of legal representative director and take responsibility to ensure that I am not disadvantaged. I will also give Ga-eun the right of first choice in contract extensions and other contractual relationships,” Korean media reported. 

143 Entertainment issued a statement, saying, "It is also deeply regrettable that Ga-eun's side demanded a large sum of consolation money based on one-sided claims related to an incident that was already reported last year, and when this was refused, they filed a criminal complaint about six months after the incident occurred." 

The controversy was first reported by a current affairs program of Korean TV channel JTBC in November last year. 143 Entertainment denied the allegations. 

Also last November, 143 Entertainment announced the departure of Ga-eun from Madein and denied the sexual harassment allegations. 

Madein, formerly Limelight, debuted in September last year. The group’s current members are Mashiro, MiU, Suhye, Yeseo, Serina, and Nagomi.

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