Girl group MADEIN has attracted attention, as it features 2 former Kep1er members: Mashiro and Yeseo. However, since their debut under 143 Entertainment, the girl group has consistently faced questionable treatment, ranging from mismanagement to alleged sexual assault and physical abuse.
Below is a collection of the wrongdoings of which the MADEIN agency has been accused (carried out by Protect MADEIN).
Alleged sexual assault
On November 22, JTBC’s “Scandal Supervisor” aired a segment accusing the CEO of a fifth-generation idol agency of sexual assault. The group in question was speculated to be MADEIN, with member Gaeun, who was on hiatus at the time, said to be the victim.
The broadcast detailed the gruesome allegations, including a conversation between the victim and the CEO, in which he made inappropriate advances and forced physical contact. The victim’s resistance was ignored and she suffered harassment for two hours.
It was later revealed that the victim, allegedly member Gaeun, agreed to date the CEO (DIGITAL MASTA) under pressure to ensure his continued participation in the group. During the date, the CEO reportedly locked her in his office and groped her, then forcibly kissed her and touched her inappropriately while she was at the movies. Gaeun’s parents confronted the CEO, who initially denied the allegations but later admitted having done so “make a mistake”.
Despite these serious allegations, 143 Entertainment has released numerous statements denying the misconduct, deleting Gaeun’s presence from official platforms and threatening legal action.
Meanwhile, member Yeseo liked fans’ comments criticizing the agency, including statements calling the CEO to “dirty pig” and encouraging members to leave the company along with Gaeun, casting further doubt on 143 Entertainment’s conduct and claims.
Fans have since started a truck protest demanding a proper investigation into the sexual harassment case, but their demands seem to have fallen on deaf ears.
Suspected physical abuse
Reports of physical abuse surfaced when member Mashiro appeared on a live stream on October 27 with visible bruises. Fans were deeply concerned about his health and asked 143 Entertainment for clarification, but the company did not provide a response.
Instead of addressing the issue, the agency covered Mashiro’s bruises with a headband during MADEIN’s concert the same day, featuring it as part of her outfit.
This blatant attempt to mask the problem rather than fix it highlighted the agency’s negligence towards members’ well-being, leaving fans outraged and demanding accountability.
Sexualization of the minor
As early as October 4, Serina, a minor member of MADEIN, was sexualized because she was not wearing safety shorts of an appropriate length. Fashion designers are well aware of the appropriate length for safety shorts, as this is not a new issue in the industry.
Concerned fans contacted the company, urging them to take action by editing or removing the controversial parts of the video. However, the company did not provide any response and the video remained unchanged.
Bad management
143 Entertainment’s mismanagement of MADEIN also includes exploitative practices and unprofessional behavior.
In particular, the music video for MADEIN’s debut track, “UNO”, relied heavily on AI-generated content, sparking negative reactions for its lack of emotional depth and quality. The CEO later admitted fault and promised a new change, which failed to repair the damage.
On December 28, a complaint was published alleging that the agency had failed to pay over 40 staff members for their work on MADEIN’s debut music video, revealing exploitative labor practices.
Then, when fans discovered unpaid wages and mismanagement of finances within the agency. In January, the agency also began blocking fans on social media seeking answers, demonstrating a lack of transparency and accountability
Additionally, after Gaeun deleted his Instagram posts and unfollowed the agency in November, 143 Entertainment announced his indefinite hiatus for “health reasons”. Subsequently, Gaeun was completely removed from the group and her solo content was deleted. Fans expressed outrage over promotional material in which Gaeun’s image had been poorly edited, exemplifying the agency’s lack of professionalism.
