The shocking allegations were revealed on JTBC’s Scandal Supervisor, where a fifth-generation girl group member shared an audio testimony describing the assault. The victim recounted how the CEO manipulated her into a private meeting, locked the office door, and forcibly kissed and groped her for over two hours despite her resistance.
Netizens linked the story to MADEIN’s Gaeun after noticing her hiatus and activies on SNS.
Previously on November 10, Gaeun was noticed to have deleted all her posts on Instagram and removed “MADEIN” from her Instagram bio.
Additionally, the 5th gen female idol unfollowed two accounts: the official Instagram account of her agency, 143 Entertainment, and that of the company’s CEO.
Prior to the audio revelation on JTBC’s Scandal Supervisor, fans had grown increasingly worried that these sudden changes might signal Gaeun’s departure from MADEIN. However, after the story was shared, their concerns shifted to whether she might truly be the victim of this incident.
143 Entertainment has since issued 2 official statement to soothe fans’ worries.
The first statement is about Gaeun’s hiatus:
“Hello, this is 143 Entertainment.
We would like to provide an update regarding MADEIN member Gaeun’s activities.
Recently, Gaeun visited the hospital due to health concerns, and based on the medical recommendation for sufficient rest and stability, she has decided to temporarily halt her activities to focus on her recovery.
For the time being, MADEIN will continue its activities with the six remaining members: Mashiro, Yeseo, MiU, Suhye, Serina, and Nagomi.
We apologize for causing concern with this sudden news, and we kindly ask for your warm support so that Gaeun can return to fans in good health as soon as possible.
Thank you.”
The second statement is to dismissed the allegations as baseless, claiming no sexual contact occurred and attributing the CEO’s actions to comforting the member.
However, the victim’s parents insisted the incident constituted sexual harassment under Korea’s civil law, which defines a minor as anyone under 19.
On the other hand, MADEIN originally debuted as LimeLight on February 17, 2023 with a three-member lineup. In 2024, it underwent a reformation by adding former Kep1er members Mashiro and Yeseo, and “Produce 101 Japan The Girls” contestants Serina and Nagomi.
Source: X
