Parents of Aijing, member of Lee Soo-man's girl group A2O Lite, face new wage theft claims

A2O Lite member Aijing. [Captured from YouTube channel 'M2']

A former employee has come forward with new allegations against the parents of Aijing, a member of producer Lee Soo-man's rookie girl group A2O Lite, amid an ongoing wage theft controversy. The claims emerged even as Aijing's mother issued a public apology, with Chinese state media joining the criticism.

A Chinese internet user wrote on SNS on Sunday that she had worked at a company run by Aijing's parents and requested her unpaid wages to cover her father's funeral expenses, but received only 1,000 yuan ($150).

"My father was critically ill at the time and ultimately passed away," she wrote. "My sister had quit her job to care for him, so I was the family's sole breadwinner. I asked the company for money to hold my father's funeral, but was told there was none."

She added that after personally calling the company, she received just 1,000 yuan. "I had worked diligently for years, putting in overtime, and in the middle of losing my father, that was all they gave me," she wrote. "I will never forget it."

Girl group A2O Lite performs at Kintex in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, during A2O Entertainment's idol group global debut show "Welcome to Soulite from A2O Soul A2O Lite." [Yonhap]

Earlier, on Tuesday, Chinese outlets including Dahe Daily and Fengmian News reported allegations that Aijing's parents had withheld wages from employees at a Beijing-based education company they operate.

According to a local corporate information platform, enforcement proceedings worth about 3.45 million yuan have been confirmed against the company and in the parents' names.

As the controversy spread, Aijing's mother posted on SNS on Wednesday that "the business situation of the education-related company we previously operated deteriorated sharply, leading to debt disputes." She stressed that "the responsibility for this matter lies with us, the parents, and it is a problem we must resolve — our daughter has no connection to the business or the disputes."

The apology did little to quiet the backlash. On Saturday, a hashtag roughly meaning "Did they fund their daughter's entertainment career on the blood and sweat of their employees?" topped Weibo's trending search list.

Chinese outlet Yangcheng Evening News urged the family to repay the debts in full, writing that "no matter how well-crafted an apology is, it is no substitute for paying the money back." Online outlet Kankan News reported Friday that wage arrears had already occurred at the mother's company when Aijing won a dance competition in 2024, and that a promised installment payment plan was not honored when she competed at a world dance competition in the United States in 2025.

Aijing, who has drawn comparisons to K-pop star BoA for her talent and looks — earning her the nickname "Little BoA" — is a member of A2O Lite, the girl group produced by Lee. The group released its debut single "NEON" on Tuesday and reached No. 1 on the Melon Top 100 chart the following day at 11 p.m.

yeonjoo7@heraldcorp.com