Complaint Filed Against Founder of 143 Entertainment for Sexual Assault — Victim’s Mother Says “I Want to Protect My Child Now”

Lee Yong-hak, the founder and CEO of 143 Entertainment, has been filed a complaint against regarding charges of sexual assault against a minor idol member under his management. At a press conference on the complaint held on the 29th at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, organized by the Hanbit Media Labor Rights Center, the victim’s mother and legal representative disclosed the details and evidence of the incident. Last October, the victim A (who was under 19 at the time) was summoned to the company CEO’s office where they were subjected to verbal abuse and threats for three hours, along with forced sexual assault and sexual harassment intended to cause emotional humiliation. The victim’s mother stated, “My daughter had dreamed of becoming an idol since she was young and was truly happy when that dream came true. But at some point, she began to lose her vitality.” According to the mother, initial contact was mild, but it escalated after the victim graduated from high school. When the victim clearly refused the CEO by saying, “Stop touching my body now,” the CEO threatened to disadvantage them professionally. The mother cried and said, “Despite my repeated pleas for help, he wouldn’t listen. The moment I closed my eyes and ears, my child had to endure unimaginable things.” At the press conference, the Hanbit Media Labor Rights Center revealed a handwritten confession written by CEO Lee Yong-hak. The confession stated, “I sincerely apologize for the sexual harassment of the member,” and included a pledge to step down as legal representative. However, the mother testified, “The CEO who said he would step back from active roles failed to keep his promise. My child eventually collapsed.” The incident came to light in November last year when JTBC’s program ‘Case Manager’ broadcast audio recordings of the victim without their consent. The mother said, “I never agreed to the broadcast and didn’t even know such recordings existed. I had planned to quietly end her activities for her dreams and future, but after it was covered on TV, I became terrified and realized I could no longer delay.” The victim’s side requested compensation, but the CEO refused. The mother regretted, “It’s embarrassing, but as parents with nothing, I tried to create a foundation so my child could at least study. I didn’t consider that others might see it as asking for money or that it could harm my child.” Heo Yoo-jung, former A&R team leader at 143 Entertainment, testified, “I often told the CEO not to call female trainees separately and to avoid creating unnecessary situations, but nothing changed.” She also added, “Even when employees’ salaries were overdue, I lost trust after seeing him give luxury handbags to members of other groups, so I resigned. The claim in reports that the victim caused the controversy is false.” Lawyer Moon Hyo-jeong, the victim’s legal representative, pointed out, “Immediately after the incident, this CEO admitted to the assault and apologized to the victim’s side, but later he reversed his stance by exploiting the victim’s desperation and denied the crimes.” The lawyer added that “the victim still has many pieces of evidence not yet submitted to the investigative authorities.” Concluding the press conference, the victim’s mother emphasized, “I hope such things never happen again. People like this must be expelled from the industry and must definitely pay for their crimes.”