Unilateral withdrawal after forced harassment...Maidin member sued 143 Entertainment CEO A Cheong Law (Roundup)
Apr 29, 2025
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A's mother, lawyer Moon Hyo-jung, legal representative of A, and Heo Yoo-jung, former head of 143 Entertainment A&R team, attended the 「143 Entertainment CEO Lee Yong-hak's opportunity to sue the idol members for forced harassment」 held at the press union meeting room at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 29th. The press conference was held by Kim Young-min, director of the Hanbit Media Labor and Human Rights Center.
Earlier on November 22 last year, JTBC 'Case Team Leader' reported that a multinational girl group member who debuted in September 2024 was sexually harassed by the CEO of the agency. Accordingly, it was speculated that the victim was Mr. A of Madein, but 143 said, "We inform you that there was no sexual contact between the member and the representative mentioned in the broadcast by any sexual harassment or other force, and the report is not true", he denied.
A, who later withdrew from Madein, held a press conference on a complaint about 143 Entertainment CEO Lee Yong-hak's forced harassment case against his idol, and demanded an official apology from 143 Entertainment and the removal of the perpetrator. A's position is that in October last year, when A was a minor, CEO Lee Yong-hak called the AtLFMF's representative office and verbally abused and threatened him for three hours before committing forced harassment and sexual contempt.
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Then, physical contact, which was a light touch, intensified after graduating from high school. Although the child told the CEO not to touch his body, CEO Lee Yong-hak continued to touch him because he was working. Then the incident happened. Hearing the child's story, I truly thought I was a sinner. The child did not listen to the rescue signal several times, and as a result of closing his eyes and ears, he had to go through something unimaginable. Still, the child thought that he wanted to continue his Madein activities. I didn't know what to do, and I couldn't report it at the time. I tried to finish the activity quietly after receiving only a memorandum from the representative."
In response, a memorandum was released at the time. According to the disclosed document, Lee's resident number starting with 78 is written. Also "Lee Yonghak sincerely apologizes for the sexual harassment against member A." In the future, in the contractual relationship with 143 Enterprises, I will be responsible for leaving the CEO and not having any disadvantages, and I will give Mr. A a priority option in the extension of the contract and other contractual relationships. The name and signature of CEO Lee Yong-hak are written with the words 2014-10-25.
Mr. A's mother said, `At the time, I thought only the representative had to step down from the front line. However, CEO Lee whistled and acted as if nothing had happened. The child struggled with tears if the whistle of the representative was ringing in his ears. The child eventually collapsed. Every day was like hell. I couldn't leave the child for a moment. My heart burned with the guilt of not being able to protect my child. In the meantime, a recording of the child was broadcast in 'Case Captain'. I never agreed, I didn't even know it existed. For the child's dream and future, I tried to end the case quietly, but when it appeared on the show, the child was afraid. Dad met the representative at his birthplace that he couldn't put it off any longer. He said he would meet all the conditions he wanted, so he coordinated it. At that time, the CEO was going to post a statement at the company, and he told the child to press 'Like'. CEO Lee Yong-hak asked for the child's position to be posted. Tears welled up when they saw the contents of 'Child's Entrance Statement'. The entrance statement was a false accusation. Why should the victim raise the perpetrator's position. CEO Lee Yong-hak expressed his unfair stance, saying, "The attitude has changed."
Also "The child put everything on 143 Entertainment. I didn't know what to do from now on. In a situation where neither idol activities nor the CEO's apology can be expected, all we could ask for from the CEO was the settlement money. I'm ashamed to say we're a house that doesn't have anything. It was the stupidity of the parents who were worried about their children's future. In other people's eyes, they simply ask for money, and I think the child can get hurt. Looking back, I felt guilty. The representative refused, saying that the settlement money was also an admission of guilt. He left the place after saying only that 'this would hurt Mr. A'. The next day, Ga-eun's exit article came out, and only the position that the exclusive contract was valid came out. "
Mr. A then wanted to continue his Maidin activities. We were afraid that the child would be hurt and what kind of lies would be used to respond. I am forever a sinner to our daughter. In the name of being for the child, he pushed the child into deeper darkness. I'm sorry and I'm sorry again. I sincerely bow to my daughter, who has endured four years that I can't handle. Now I really want to protect my child. A child who just became an adult. I want my child to do what he wants to do and ease the heavy burden he has on him. There are still many children who are likely to endure these complaints. I think such a person should be kicked out of the industry and must pay for his crimes."
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Heo Yoo-jung, former head of 143 Entertainment A&R team, stood at the press conference as a witness to the damage situation. "I've worked at 143 Entertainment since 2021."Former team leader Huh " is here at the request of the victims and their families. I didn't know it was this kind of representative because I didn't talk much with CEO Lee Yong-hak other than communicating about songs. The members said that the CEO only likes certain members. There was a situation where the representative was driving a wedge between the children. On one occasion, a member's mother complained about discrimination, and the representative apologized that it was a misunderstanding. As a result, CEO Lee's actions made the members wary of each other. I asked him to solve the problem through me as much as possible."
In addition, "As I worked for the company, I heard a lot of financial problems of CEO Lee Yong-hak. Trainer salaries have been pushed back, and all employee salaries have been pushed back. However, when I saw that I presented a luxury bag to a certain member, I lost my trust and left the company. The broadcast that A caused a stir is not true at all. Rather, CEO Lee Yong-hak also received billions of dollars from various parents.
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The parents of the victim, who learned of the fact, visited the representative that night and received a memorandum acknowledging the harm, and were promised not to penalize their activities and to step down from the front line. In addition, in front of the parents of other members, the CEO admitted to the fault he had committed to A and promised not to step down from his duties and contact the members in the future. But this promise was not kept. In addition, the representative wanted to withdraw A from the team.
In addition, in November last year, the information was reported as the head of JTBC's case team at a time when Mr. A was shocked and suspended. A's voice talking about the damage was reported on the air without A's consent. In addition, the report said that the beginning of the incident was that the boyfriend was brought to the accommodation, and the facts were distorted as if A was at fault.
When the case became public, the representative asked A's parents to agree to this and press like for the Instagram post of the statement in order to issue the company's position that the sexual harassment was unfounded. A, who wanted to work as a group, reluctantly cooperated with this. There were also discussions on the revision of the exclusive contract. However, the representative did not stop there, but even demanded A's statement denying the representative's harm, and refused because A could never accept it. A's parents last tried to reach an agreement with the representative, but the representative refused, and later unilaterally announced that A had withdrawn from the group. Since then, media reports have confirmed the company's position that A's exclusive contract is being maintained.'
As a result of the legal representative's forced harassment, a notice was sent on the 17th stating the termination of the exclusive contract, but the representative denied the sexual harassment, claiming that physical contact was triggered and claimed at the suggestion of A who was on the verge of being forced out of the team. Rather, A is saying something absurd that solo activities or other team combinations are possible if he 'reflects deeply on his past actions'. It has also threatened to impose penalties and damages for violations of the exclusive contract if it continues to cause controversy on the premise of forced harassment" he said.
In the process, he refuted the problems claimed by CEO Lee one by one. Mr. A was afraid that he could be sexually harmed by the representative when he claimed that the victim had caused physical contact"The representative often asked A to carve out his wishes and said, "Let's grant each other's wishes." A had doubts about this because the representative did not say what wish it was. In this regard, Parents A should record to A if it's a strange wish' was once said. And on the day of the incident, A urgently delivered evidence related to the molestation to his friend and informed him that he was going through something dangerous" countered.
There was no sexual contactRepresentative Lee's claim has a transcript of Lee's admission of wrongdoing to parents A and saying, 'I'm sorry' at a gathering of parents of other members.
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Mr. A withdrew from Maidin, but the exclusive contract with 143 Entertainment is still valid, which is why the company wants to ask about the termination of the exclusive contract. It seems to be a part that can be done by applying for provisional injunction or by various procedures. The company said, "I don't know why."
As for the report of 'the head of the case", the victim's testimony was sent out without consent as if the facts were true. We are reviewing the procedures to be filed with the Media Arbitration Committee."
Regarding the settlement money that Mr. A's parents demanded from Representative Lee, "The reply of the proof of content we sent to Representative Lee was "The victim's parents made an unreasonable demand" That's why we inevitably shared it all. My mother said, but at first, only the representative should step down was all A's request. Even this was not observed, so it was sent at the end."
Regarding former team leader Huh's remarks, who also testified, "He said it based on Heo Yoo-jung's testimony from the person concerned. Not all of these contents occurred within 143 Entertainment. This happened frequently while Lee was in the industry," he added.
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