Former MADEIN member Gaeun has addressed the distressing allegations of sexual harassment she reportedly endured at the hands of the CEO of her former agency, 143 Entertainment. On April 28th KST, a heartfelt, handwritten note believed to be from Gaeun surfaced on an online community, offering a glimpse into her struggles and signaling her intent to confront the situation head-on.
Gaeun, who previously debuted with LIMELIGHT before joining MADEIN last year, found herself at the center of a report aired by JTBC’s ‘Incident Chief’ in November. The program detailed allegations of sexual harassment by an agency CEO, identified only as Mr. B, against a female idol referred to as Member A. The broadcast included a chilling recording where Member A pleaded, “Please just let me finish this promotion. That’s my only wish,” only to allegedly receive the shocking reply from the CEO, “If I grant your wish, will you grant mine? Then my wish is for you to be my girlfriend for a day.”
Following the broadcast, public speculation heavily suggested that Member A was indeed Gaeun. 143 Entertainment swiftly denied the allegations, issuing a statement asserting,
“There was no sexual harassment or any other sexual contact through abuse of power between the member and the CEO. We assert that the report is not true.”
A week after the ‘Incident Chief’ report aired, Gaeun, who had been on a health-related hiatus, officially departed from MADEIN. At the time, 143 Entertainment cited “overlapping personal circumstances” as the reason for her withdrawal, stating it made it “difficult to continue team activities.”
In her newly released handwritten note, Gaeun expressed sincere gratitude to those who supported her, writing,
“I sincerely thank everyone who trusted me, waited patiently, and offered warm support and concern.”
She also shared the emotional toll the situation had taken, stating,
“I spent every day trying to stay strong so I could properly face this situation.”
Reflecting on her time as an idol, Gaeun revealed the difficult circumstances she faced, saying,
“Although many difficult things kept happening during my activities, I endured it all out of fear that my dream of being an idol would end. After the broadcast aired, I learned of my withdrawal from the team through news articles.”
However, Gaeun’s note concluded with a powerful declaration of intent:
“I will no longer run away. I will speak honestly about my feelings and what has happened until now.”
The Hanbit Media Labor Rights Center (Hanbit Center) announced on April 28th that they will be joining forces with Gaeun’s mother to hold a press conference on April 29th at the Korea Media Union’s conference room in Jung-gu, Seoul. The purpose of this press conference is to formally file a complaint regarding the alleged sexual assault by the 143 Entertainment CEO.
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