Court rules in favor of two more Maydin members in exclusive contract dispute with agency chief facing groping allegations

The mother of a Maydin member who filed a criminal complaint against the agency chief on groping charges holds a press conference in April last year to bring the matter to public attention. [YouTube channel YTN]

Two members of girl group Maydin have won a civil lawsuit seeking to void their exclusive contracts with 143 Entertainment, whose chief faces allegations of groping a minor member of the group. A separate injunction to suspend the exclusive contract of Gaeun, the member who directly accused the chief, has also been granted.

The court found that agency chief A acknowledged arranging a "one-day girlfriend" outing with the victimized member — watching a film and having a meal together — after which he privately paid her 1 million won ($705) and that "inappropriate physical contact" had occurred. The court said the other members, who were not directly victimized, "had sufficient reason to fear that similar misconduct could happen to them."

According to legal sources, Seoul Central District Court's Civil Division 46, presided over by Judge Kim Hyeong-cheol, ruled in favor of the two members on June 17 in their suit asking the court to confirm that their exclusive contracts with 143 Entertainment were no longer valid. The agency was ordered to bear the litigation costs.

Victimized member alleges groping; agency calls claims 'groundless'

The dispute traces back to November 2024, when member Gaeun held a press conference and publicly accused agency chief A of sexual misconduct. According to a recording cited at the time, A told her his wish was for her to be his "one-day girlfriend." Gaeun said she had been subjected to groping and sexual harassment while she was a minor.

The agency denied the claims, saying the groping allegations were "clearly groundless" and that it held "clear evidence to prove the falsehood." The dispute quickly turned acrimonious. The agency later announced Gaeun's departure from the group, citing "overlapping personal circumstances that made it difficult for her to continue team activities."

The agency's official rebuttal statement issued when the groping allegations against the chief first emerged. [YouTube channel YTN]

Court: 'Inappropriate physical contact acknowledged — highly improper conduct'

Two other Maydin members subsequently filed injunction requests to suspend their exclusive contracts — one in December 2024 and the other in May last year. Those injunctions were granted in April and July of last year, respectively.

The court has now also ruled in their favor in the underlying civil suit.

The first-instance court concluded that "the mutual trust between the parties has broken down to a degree that makes it impossible to maintain the exclusive contracts" and that "it is reasonable to view the situation as one in which trust cannot be restored going forward."

In explaining its reasoning, the court noted that chief A himself acknowledged arranging the "one-day girlfriend" outing with the victimized member, paying her 1 million won in private after they watched a film and had a meal together, and that inappropriate physical contact had taken place.

The court said such conduct was "highly inappropriate behavior for someone who bears the duty to protect and support the entertainers under their management."

While acknowledging that the two members bringing the suit were not directly victimized, the court said they were young women who had only recently come of age when the allegations surfaced, and that their fear and anxiety that similar misconduct could occur to them was "entirely understandable." It added that "this is a natural reaction by any reasonable social standard."

The court also cited as supporting evidence the fact that the father of one of the members had confronted A directly at the time, asking: "Would you entrust your own daughter to someone who made such a moral mistake while raising her?"

The court further noted that "image and reputation are a critical foundation for a girl group's activities" and that the widespread media coverage of the groping allegations — across television news programs and other outlets — had "significantly damaged the members' public image and social standing." It added that "restoring that damaged image will not be easy."

The ruling is not yet final. The agency filed an appeal on July 6, and the case is now pending before Seoul High Court.

Meanwhile, the injunction filed by Gaeun — the directly victimized member — to suspend her own exclusive contract has also been granted. The court accepted her injunction request on Friday, saying A had "violated his duty to protect and support the entertainer under his management" and that "the agency's willingness to fulfill its management obligations could not be confirmed."

notstrong@heraldcorp.com