The Korean members, Yeseo and Suhye, of MADEIN are in talks with management about their formal departure from the multinational popular group. Based on the report released by Hankyung.com on December 26, 2025, Suhye and Yeseo are expected to leave the girl group MADIEN as they are in final talks with the agency. Post their departure, MADEIN will be left with only Japanese members.
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Yeseo and Suhye in Talks with Agency
Multinational girl group MADIEN was formed in September 2024, following the collaboration of former LIMELIGHT members with Kep1er’s Mashiro and Yeseo under 143 Entertainment. MADEIN debuted their first EP album “Rise” on September 3, 2024. It remained a seven-member group for a couple of months before the sudden departure of Gaeun, and now Suhye and Yeseo are in talks with the agency for finalizing their departure as well.
Fans were already suspecting that Suhye and Yeseo would depart from the girl group MADEIN after Suhye removed MADEIN from her Instagram username and Yeseo added business contact details under her Instagram bio. Their decision to leave the group strengthens Gaeun’s claims of sexual harassment against the former CEO. Fans want members to leave the music agency 143 Entertainment and land in another company to kickstart their careers with better conditions and growth prospects.
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Why Former Member Gaeun Left MADEIN?
Former MADEIN member Gaeun trained under 143 Entertainment and debuted as a member of the girl group LIMELIGHT for the first time. She often performed as the main singer and grabbed fans’ attention at concerts. The LIMELIGHT and Kep1er were joined to form a new seven-member group, MADEIN. However, in late 2024, she went on a temporary hiatus due to health reasons and on November 29, 2024, departed from MADEIN, which 143 Entertainment portrayed as “Gaeun left due to personal circumstances.” Gauen’s departure shrank the multinational girl group MADEIN to a six-member group.
Gaeun has left MADEIN
byu/CherryBlossomEnding inkpop
Later, a controversy erupted against the former agency CEO over sexual harassment, that too with a minor. This made headlines over the news and media; however, the music agency in focus here, 143 Entertainment, denied all the allegations raised against the agency. The agency shared in a statement, “We would like to convey our official position regarding the issue reported on JTBC’s ‘Case Chief’ yesterday.”
“First of all, what is the relationship between the member and the representative mentioned in the broadcast? There was no sexual harassment or other sexual contact through force. We would like to inform you that the content of the report is not true. I would also like to inform you that the hotel-related information for the member was also shared with all of his acquaintances. The reported content is based on a report from people other than the member in question, who said things that were different from the facts. Once again, this issue is groundless. Let me be clear. We deeply apologize for any inconvenience caused by this sudden and unpleasant incident.”
[NOTICE]
— MΛDEIN (@MADEIN_U) November 22, 2024
143엔터테인먼트입니다.
어제 JTBC '사건반장'에서 보도된 이슈 관련하여 당사 공식입장 전달드립니다.
먼저 방송에서 언급된 멤버와 대표 사이에는 어떠한
성추행, 기타 위력에 의한 성적 접촉이 없었으며,
보도 내용은 사실이 아님을 알려드립니다.
또한 해당 멤버의 호텔 관련 내용…
In April 2025, K-pop idol Gaeun filed a sexual harassment complaint against a former agency executive, and on April 29, Hanbit Media Labor Human Rights Center held a press conference involving the mother of the victim, her legal representative, Moon Hyo Jung, Secretary General of Cultural Solidarity, Kim Jae-sang, director of the Hanbit Media Labor Rights Center, Kim Young-min, A&R team leader at 143 Entertainment, Heo Yu-jeong, and Moms in Politics activist Lee Min-kyung.
The legal representative of the idol addressed the conference by briefing them about the case. She said in a statement, “This case involves sexual harassment allegations against the former 143 Entertainment agency CEO. Mr A has sexually harassed a female idol against her will. Initially, Mr A admitted his wrongdoings and apologized several times for his actions, but later he changed his stance and claimed that sexual contact between the two was not forced, using the victim’s ongoing activities as leverage.”
Moon Hyo Jung continued, “The victim has recently filed a complaint against Mr A to the local police station, and it might be possible that the police will call him for questioning related to the case soon.
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143 Entertainment Response
Responding to the press conference, 143 Entertainment released a statement,
“Hello, this is 143 Entertainment.
We would like to share our official position regarding the press conference held today by the Hanbit Media Labor Human Rights Center. First, we sincerely apologize for the fact that the head of our management company has become embroiled in such controversy.
Many aspects of the claims made by the member’s side do not align with the facts. However, as a police investigation is currently underway, we will actively cooperate with the investigation and, in the process, seek to correct any distortions based on objective evidence.
Additionally, it is deeply regrettable that the member’s side, regarding an incident that was already reported last year, demanded a large settlement based solely on their unilateral claims, and when this was refused, proceeded to file a criminal complaint about six months after the incident occurred.
We hope that the truth will be fully revealed through this process, and we will take full responsibility according to the legal judgment. Thank you.”
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Basically, 143 Entertainment played reverse engineering and leveraged the time when the CEO was apologizing against things to the idol, claiming she is doing all this for money. Additionally, the agency denied all the claims and referred to allegations raised by the idol as unilateral claims and accused her of demanding a settlement. Refusal to the settlement made her go for a criminal complaint, according to the agency briefing.
Gaeun Mother Statement
The victim’s mother broke down and said, “My daughter, confined every day, was cut off from communication with friends and acquaintances. The CEO even visited the dormitory day and night to check his cell phone after learning that he had consulted the dance teacher. What had been casual physical contact became more burdensome after he graduated from high school. My child clearly told him to stop touching me, and the CEO continued to subject him to continued disadvantages and unfair treatment at work.”
Former MADEIN member Gaeun has filed a criminal complaint against 143 Entertainment CEO Lee Yong-hak for sexual assault.
byu/yebinkek inkpop
She continued with tears, “Then the incident happened. The moment I heard my daughter’s story, I truly felt guilty. Even though she sent out distress signals several times, I ignored her. As a result, she had to endure unimaginable things. Despite all this, Gaeun said she cherished her new fans and wanted to continue with MADEIN. I had no idea what to do, and I couldn’t follow her wishes and report the incident. Instead, I tried to get a written statement from the CEO and quietly wrap up her activities. I told her that the CEO could step down from the front lines. But instead of stepping down, the CEO interfered with every single schedule, whistled, and acted as if nothing had happened. My child was suffering, saying she could hear the whistling in her ears and felt like she was going crazy.”
The mother also said, “My daughter ultimately broke down. Every day was hell. I was consumed by the guilt of not being able to protect her, and my life itself fell apart. Then, suddenly, the incident team broadcast a recording of my daughter. It was a recording I had never consented to or made public. I had intended to quietly end my activities for my daughter’s dreams and future, but the broadcast terrified her. We felt we could no longer trust him. My father met with the CEO and agreed to all his demands. The CEO told him the company would release a statement first, so my daughter could like it on Instagram, and my daughter complied. He didn’t stop there, and he also demanded that my child post a statement. The statement was full of lies, and I refused, wondering why a victim should act like the perpetrator. Then, the CEO’s attitude changed. I was at a loss.”
She continued, “I’d staked everything on a company called 143 Entertainment. I was at a loss as to what my child should do in the future. With no hope for idol activities or an apology from the CEO, the only thing I could ask for from him was a settlement fee. It’s embarrassing, but my family had nothing. It was the foolishness of a parent worried about their child’s future. I didn’t realize that others might see me as someone simply asking for money, and that my child could be hurt. I feel guilty and regretful. The CEO refused the settlement fee, claiming it was an admission of guilt. He left with a threatening remark, asking if my daughter would be hurt, and then left. After that, there was no further contact, and articles about his departure came out.”
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Finally, the mother raised her voice, saying, “We were powerless and couldn’t respond until the very end. My child wanted to continue with MADEIN. We wanted to fulfill that wish, but we couldn’t. I will forever be a sinner toward my daughter. As a parent, I pushed her into a deeper darkness with the words ‘for the sake of my child.’ I am so sorry. I bow my head in respect to my daughter, who endured four years, a time I could never have endured, and has persevered until now. Now, I truly want to protect my child. I want to help her do what she wants to do by easing even a little of the heavy burden she is carrying. I believe that people like this should be kicked out of the industry and must pay the price.”
Fans deeply believe that Gaeun’s claims are true, and the thought process is strengthened by the formal departure requests raised by two Korean members, Yeseo and Suhye, to 143 Entertainment. K-pop fans want the disbandment of MADEIN for the good of the idols associated with the group. There is no future for the group even if the agency tries to push them as a 4-member group lineup. All the Korean members are either looking to leave the group or finalizing their contracts to be free of the agency’s sight and group activities. Let’s see what happens next.
