Fifth Generation Girl Group Member, MADEIN‘S Gaeunshe was sexually assaulted by her agency’s CEO when she tried to leave the group.
In the last episode of JTBCthe show Scandal supervisorhighlighted how a member of the fifth generation girl group was the victim of sexual violence after asking to leave the group. The show played an audio statement recorded on October 26 by the girl group member, whose voice was altered to protect her identity.
I told him that it was my wish to leave the group after the round of activities [we were doing]. He asked that if he granted my wish, would I also grant his wish? He wanted me to be his girlfriend for a day.
He asked me if he could kiss me, but then he grabbed me and forced me to kiss him. I kept my mouth closed, but he suddenly forced his tongue in and continued kissing me, he also licked my neck and ears.
I was so focused on protection [down here] but he said move my hands and continued touching me.
He asked “can I touch your breast?” and “can I touch your butt just this once?”
I said no, but he continued doing it for two hours.
– Unnamed female idol
He initially accepted the CEO’s offer because he thought it would be like a normal date, going to eat at a restaurant and then watch a movie. He also wanted to ensure that he could continue to participate in the group’s activities until he left. But the CEO suddenly locked the office door and groped her. He forced him to kiss her while they watched a movie. And he rejected her denial attempts to get out of the situation.
A lawyer from the agency in question initially commented on the incident, stating that it was the girl member’s wish to continue promoting with the group and therefore she agreed to be his girlfriend for a day. The lawyer acknowledged that there was footage of the two in the car together, but there was nothing out of the ordinary.
However, the CEO later met with the members’ parents to confirm to them that he had indeed made a mistake. The parents responded by saying that it was not a mistake, but intentional.
You watched over our children with ulterior motives. You haven’t seen many late-night movies with… [female idol]?
— Parents of deputies
The CEO said he only went to the movies with her once. But the parents continued the offensive.
If they don’t follow your orders, they will find themselves at an extreme disadvantage. From our point of view this is not a punishment, it is torture for our children. You realize he’s still a minor, right?
— Parents of deputies
The CEO, who initially denied all allegations claiming it was a misunderstanding, backtracked and began apologizing. He also promised to take responsibility to step down as CEO and no longer come into contact with members. However, he also said that it would be difficult to disband the group due to the company’s stakeholders and that he will continue to lead the group from behind the scenes. The agency also argued that the law’s language makes things difficult. According to Korean civil law, a minor is a person 18 years of age or younger, while the Children and Youth Act defines a minor as a person 17 years of age or younger. The agency argued that under the Children and Youth Act, the female idol involved was not a minor at the time of the incident.
Three days after meeting the group members’ parents, they saw the CEO observing their performance. When approached by his parents, he said he was leaving. However, two days later the CEO accompanied the members on the flight to Japan, even sitting next to the member he had sexually assaulted. The show reported that both the victim and other members were in shock, with the victim shaking in fear during the flight. Following this specific incident, the agency announced that the member would be going on hiatus due to health issues.
But the CEO continued to move forward, gathering members in an attempt to brainwash them, claiming to be both the perpetrator and the victim, and even deceiving them.
He said: “If this becomes public and the company closes or suffers damage, do you know how much you have to pay in compensation?” Do you want to continue with the group or not? Reply with an X or an O.’
Imagine how scared the members were who responded with a triangle.
— Informant a Scandal supervisor
The agency’s legal representative told Scandal Supervisor that the allegations made were unfounded.
There was no sexual contact or sexual harassment between the member and the CEO. In fact, the member had caused discord and controversy within the group numerous times.
It is true that the CEO hugged her and tried to console her when she asked to continue working with the group, but this cannot be considered sexual contact.
— Legal advisor of the Agency
Finally, the member’s parents said so Scandal supervisor that what happened actually constituted sexual harassment and that the member in question was a victim of it.
Although the show did not name an idol group, netizens on X were able to identify the background video shown during this segment, identifying it as a M! Countdown performance of beginner girls group MADEIN.
Recently, MADEIN member Gaeun deleted all her Instagram posts and unfollowed their agency’s CEO, leaving some netizens to believe this story is about her. MADEIN debuted on September 3, 2024 and was known to the public as members Mashiro and Yeseo were previously part of Kep1er and MiU, Gaeun and Suhye were part of Limelight. On November 11, 143 Entertainment announced that Gaeun would be taking a break from group activities due to health issues.
Gaeun was born on November 8, 2005. From the phone call to Scandal supervisor was made on October 26, 2024, the accident must have occurred before that date. This means that Gaeun was 18 years old at the time of the incident, making her a minor under Korean civil law. 143 Entertainment has not yet released any statement on the matter Scandal supervisorthe segment.
