MADEIN’s agency confirms Gaeun’s departure amid sexual harassment allegations against the CEO

Last updated:Nov 29, 2024 1:27 PM IST

MADEIN will continue activities with the remaining six members Mashiro, MiU, Suhye, Yeseo, Serina and Nagomi.

MADEIN debuted in September. (Photo credits: Instagram)

K-pop girl group MADEIN’s agency, 143 Entertainment, confirmed Gaeun’s departure from the group on Friday, November 29 at midnight KST. This comes days after the company’s CEO was reportedly accused of sexually harassing one of its fledgling girl group members. The agency’s latest statement noted that the 19-year-old K-pop Idol left the group for personal reasons, ending her time with MADEIN just two months after their debut.

According to a report from Soompi, 143 Entertainment said: “MADEIN’s member Gaeun has officially left the team as of today. Since her debut last September, Gaeun has been very committed to MADEIN’s activities, but due to personal circumstances she has found it increasingly difficult to continue the team’s activities and it has been decided that she will leave the group.”

The agency further shared that MADEIN will continue their activities with the remaining six members: Mashiro, MiU, Suhye, Yeseo, Serina and Nagomi. They will soon resume their suspended activities.

143 Entertainment also addressed the recent sexual harassment allegations against the CEO. Their statement read: “We have several clear pieces of evidence that prove these claims are false. Therefore, should any legal issues arise, we will address them with the utmost sincerity and ensure that no doubts remain. We deeply apologize for bringing such heavy news to the fans.” They further asked for continued fan support for both Gaeun and MADEIN for their future activities.

Gaeun’s departure from the group comes just days after JTBC’s current affairs show Crime Chief released a report revealing that a member of a fledgling girl group was sexually harassed by the agency’s CEO. In the revelation, a member of the fifth-generation K-pop girl group shared disturbing details about the incident.

Although the show did not mention the girl or the agency, viewers noticed that the program showed a blurry video of one of MADEIN’s performances. This subtle clue led to speculation that the people in question are MADEIN and its agency, 143 Entertainment. Furthermore, the description of the group also matched that of MADEIN.

Shortly after the show aired, the agency released a statement saying: “First, there was no sexual harassment or other sexual contact resulting from abuse of power between the CEO and the member mentioned on the air, and we you know what the message is not true.”

143 Entertainment stated that the content of the program was based on false statements made by other people and not by the member in question. “Once again, we clearly let you know that these claims are without merit,” the agency added.

MADEIN debuted in September with the EP titled Rise.