It’s official: Gaeun has decided to leave MADEIN. The decision comes just a few months after the group’s debut in September.
Gaeun officially leaves MADEIN amid controversy
On November 29th at midnight KST, 143 Entertainment officially announced Gaeun’s departure from MADEIN, marking the end of his activities with the rookie girl group.
“MADEIN member Gaeun has officially left the team as of today,” the statement read. “Since her debut last September, Gaeun has put a lot of effort into MADEIN’s activities, but due to personal circumstances she has found it increasingly difficult to carry out the team’s activities and it has been decided that she will leave the group.”
“From now on MADEIN will continue with six members: Mashiro, MiU, Suhye, Yeseo, Serina and Nagomi. All temporarily suspended programs will run as scheduled,” he continued.
The agency’s statement also directly addresses recent allegations of sexual harassment involving its CEO, denying the claims and labeling them false.
“Furthermore, we would like to point out that the recent allegations regarding sexual harassment are not true and that we have a lot of strong evidence that proves these claims to be false.. Therefore, should any legal issues arise, we will address them with utmost sincerity and ensure that no doubts remain,” he said.
The shocking controversy
The controversy began on November 22, when JTBC’s investigative program was launched “Crime Boss” aired a report detailing allegations of sexual misconduct by an agency CEO against a rookie member of the group. Although the program did not explicitly mention the group or agency involved, the blurry footage of a music show strongly resembled MADEIN, and the description of the group matched those as well. MADEIN debuted in September 2024 under 143 Entertainment, adding weight to the speculation.
The situation worsened when the agency announced this earlier Gaeun would be taking a temporary break due to health issues. This announcement, along with the timing of the allegations, led many fans and netizens to suspect that Gaeun was the individual mentioned in the report. Speculation quickly spread online, casting a shadow over the group’s budding career.
Gaeun’s departure and the agency’s insistence that the allegations are false leave questions unanswered, as fans express both concern for his well-being and frustration with the ongoing controversy. 143 Entertainment has yet to reveal further details about MADEIN’s future activities without Gaeun.
