Hanbit Media Labor and Human Rights Center will hold a press conference on April 29th about the case of sexual assault towards an idol of 143 Entertainment aka Madein's Gaeun

I hope Gaeun gets her justice. It felt weird that this case didn't make any noise.

I hope there will be (fair) media coverage on this! It has to be inverstigated properly.

Good that something is finally happening for her

Quote from StanGIDLE

I hope Gaeun gets her justice. It felt weird that this case didn't make any noise.

It did but for the wrong reasons

Go get that Son of a B^%$# girl.

An apology letter from 143 Entertainment CEO Lee Yong-hak for sexual misconduct has been revealed via the press, following MADEIN Gaeun's press conference:

The president of 143 Entertainment is holding a press conference regarding the sexual harassment case.

Present on the victims' side were Ga Eun's mother (third from the left), former 143 Entertainment A&R team leader Heo Yu-jung (second from the left), Hanbit Media Labor Rights Center director Kim Young-min, and lawyers.

Press conference held over sexual assault allegations against 143 Entertainment CEO

Press conference held regarding sexual assault lawsuit against 143 Entertainment CEOA press conference concerning the “Sexual Assault Lawsuit…

www.allkpop.com

A former 143 Entertainment employee spoke against the CEO at MADEIN Gaeun's press conference:

"I first came to know Lee Yong-hak as a composer while I was a trainee at YG Entertainment. Later, I was offered the role of A&R team leader and was responsible for managing trainees overall. During my time at the company, I often heard trainees say that the CEO was showing favoritism toward certain members. There were several instances where he created divisions among the children. One member’s mother even visited the company to raise concerns about the discrimination, and CEO Lee apologized, claiming it was a misunderstanding."

She continued,

"After that, I requested that female trainees not be called in separately and that any conversations go through me whenever possible, but nothing changed."

Furthermore, Heo Yoo-jung revealed the circumstances behind her decision to leave the company:

"There were even protest banners put up in front of the company building, criticizing CEO Lee Yong-hak for financial issues and unpaid wages. As an employee, it was an embarrassing situation. Even while unpaid wages remained, there were incidents where he gifted luxury bags to specific members, which I could not understand, and ultimately, I decided to resign."

Regarding Gaeun, she added,

"The claims that Gaeun caused multiple problems within the team are not true. As teenagers, the kids would often come to me to talk about their struggles. Gaeun was someone who tried to mediate conflicts with other trainees and embrace them with love."

Heo Yoo-jung further alleged:

"In the past as well, CEO Lee Yong-hak often delayed paying employees' salaries while gifting luxury bags to certain trainees. There were also cases where he tried to solicit money from parents under the pretense of buying music chart rankings. I am speaking about these matters with the consent of those who personally experienced them."

Nugu promoter

Former MADEIN member Gaeun has filed a criminal complaint against 143 Entertainment CEO Lee Yong-hak for sexual assault. A police investigation is expected to take place soon.

On the morning of the 29th, a press conference was held at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, regarding the filing of a complaint against 143 Entertainment’s CEO for forcibly molesting an idol group member. Present at the event were Gaeun’s mother, former 143 Entertainment A&R team leader Heo Yoo-jung, and Gaeun’s legal representatives.

Gaeun’s lawyer stated, "We have already filed the complaint, and Lee Yong-hak is now a suspect. He will soon be summoned for police questioning." The lawyer emphasized, "The core of this case is that the CEO of the agency, who falls under the purview of the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles Against Sexual Abuse (often referred to as the Juvenile Protection Act), committed a sex crime against the victim against her will."

The lawyer further explained, "Lee Yong-hak admitted to the acts multiple times after the incident and apologized to the victim. However, he later reversed his statements, denied the crime, and claimed he held no power over her. In past precedents involving similar crimes, perpetrators who used their social or political status to commit sexual assaults were still held accountable."

Gaeun’s mother, who spoke at the event, revealed, "The CEO would call members out under the pretext of 'counseling' and subtly instigate distrust among them, making them spy on and doubt each other." She added, "As a mother, I was told things like, 'You have to endure for your dream,' 'If you quit halfway, you’ll have nothing,' and 'Didn't you start this because you wanted to?' — pressuring me into silence."

She continued, "As parents, we entrusted our child, afraid that speaking out would cause harm. We followed instructions without protest, not knowing it would turn into a disaster. Despite struggling, my daughter tried to continue idol activities, so I comforted her by saying, 'The CEO just cares about you like a daughter.' However, under the CEO’s watchful eye, my daughter was isolated from friends and acquaintances. Even when she exchanged messages with her dance teacher, the CEO found out and would show up at the dorm at all hours to check her phone."

Furthermore, Gaeun’s mother said, "What started as seemingly light physical contact became more burdensome after Gaeun graduated high school. Gaeun eventually told him clearly, 'Please stop touching my body.' After that, the CEO ignored her and subjected her to ongoing professional disadvantages." She emphasized that the harassment continued from her trainee days into adulthood.

She said, "My daughter wanted to keep performing and thought it would be okay if the CEO just stepped back. But he didn’t — he kept interfering in every schedule and acted as if nothing had happened. Even though the parents informed 143 Entertainment about the sexual assault, the company took no action."

Later, JTBC’s program "Incident Team" (사건반장) covered the story. On November 22, 2024, "Incident Team" revealed a recording where a member of a multinational girl group that debuted in September 2024 alleged sexual assault by the agency’s CEO.

At the time, there was speculation that the victim was Gaeun, but 143 Entertainment denied it, stating, "There was no sexual harassment or coercive sexual contact between the CEO and any member mentioned in the broadcast."

Regarding this, Gaeun’s mother said, "Suddenly, my daughter’s recorded conversation was broadcasted on 'Incident Team'. We never agreed to it, nor were we even aware of the recording’s existence. We stayed silent for the sake of her dreams and future, but after it aired, my daughter was terrified. We realized we could no longer stay silent."

She added, "The father met with the CEO, who promised to meet all our conditions. But later, the CEO said the company would release an official statement and instructed my daughter to like that statement on Instagram. My daughter even complied with that."

Despite Gaeun wanting to continue her activities with MADEIN, the agency announced her departure without her consent. Gaeun’s mother said, "Mentioning a settlement was purely out of concern for my daughter’s future. I didn't realize it might hurt her further. Looking back, I feel guilty and regret it deeply." She continued, "The CEO rejected the settlement offer outright, saying admitting to it would be like admitting guilt. He left, saying, 'If you don't settle, your daughter could get hurt.' After that, the agency suddenly announced her departure, claiming her exclusive contract was still valid. My daughter’s dreams disappeared without a sound."

Currently, Gaeun and her representatives are demanding a sincere apology from Lee Yong-hak and the termination of her exclusive contract. They also plan to file complaints against "Incident Team" for broadcasting the recording without consent through relevant press arbitration channels.

xportsnews.com/article/1993347

Protect madein

Isolating the members from each other, staff and their parents

Guilt tripping

Favoritism and blatant grooming

Bribing with gifts

That company needs to be dissolved and those girls set free.

Quote from bartkun

if there is press conference then hopefully case is going forward in police/prosecution as well

Yes the police need to get this guy and if he can weasel out of the justice system then maybe someone can get Luigi out of jail tell him he has a new target

This is an awful situation all around and reading the mother's statement hurts. Gaeun was pleading to her how bad the situation was and was told to endure. Then it escalated to SA. So much of hurt in this story and I was afraid this was going to get swept under the rug.

That CEO needs to be behind bars because he's a sick man. He was manipulating members and then later acted on his urges. There needs to be better laws to protect idols especially when groups contains minors. It's why the whole 7 year contract standard is insane. How can you have minors sign away their careers and can't do much to leave an awful company except for bowing out of the entertainment industry?

Not to dismiss the Gaeun situation, but I have no clue what Mashiro and Yeseo are thinking. They were to leave Kep1er and return to this mess of a company. I think the group still has 2 minors, and I don't know how anybody can feel safe in this company knowing how awful that CEO is.

Some comments on the mother side of the situation. This is a tough read

it did feel weird and gross how the group and company just went on doing their thing like nothing had happened. hope the girl gets justice

The former head of 143 A&R team was a former idol, she knows how tough it can be to deal with these companies. I am glad she is helping Gaeun.

Heo Yujung, former head of the A&R team at 143 Entertainment, who testified at the press conference, was revealed to be Yoojung of BOB GIRLS, who debuted as Crayon Pop's younger sister in June 2014 (far left in group photo).

Yujung was the main rapper and main dancer, but the group disbanded in February 2015. After that, she moved to GH Entertainment and aimed to debut, but it was not to her avatar.

Kim Garam account out there defending Gaeun, nice to see.

Quote from Jaylan-Stroman

It’s important for such incidents to be addressed with transparency and proper legal proceedings. In situations like this, staying informed through reliable records can help ensure justice. Tools like Arrests Justice Files offer valuable insights into past legal activity that may be relevant for background awareness and accountability.

fuck off bot