After CEO Sexual Assault Allegations, Former MADEIN's Gaeun Granted Injunction

A South Korean court has sided with Gaeun, a former member of the K-pop girl group MADEIN, in her legal dispute with her agency, 143 Entertainment. The Seoul Central District Court granted her request to suspend the effect of her exclusive contract with the label on July 31, according to a statement released by the Hanbit Media Labor Rights Center on August 4.

The ruling comes about a year after the case first went public. The court said there was no evidence that 143 Entertainment intended to carry out management duties for Gaeun, and cited that as the basis for suspending the contract.

Gaeun's side had filed a criminal complaint against the CEO of 143 Entertainment, accusing him of subjecting her to three hours of verbal abuse and threats when she was a minor, along with indecent assault and sexual harassment. The complaint was filed under South Korea's Act on the Protection of Children and Youth Against Sex Offenses.

Gaeun was later removed from the group, but her exclusive contract with the agency remained in place. She subsequently filed a lawsuit seeking to terminate the contract, along with a separate request for a preliminary injunction to suspend its effect. The court granted the injunction request.

The Hanbit Media Labor Rights Center brought the case to public attention at a press conference in April last year. At the time, 143 Entertainment pushed back, saying that "much of it differs from the facts." The agency also claimed that the other side had demanded a large settlement based on one-sided claims, and filed the criminal complaint only after the demand was rejected.

MADEIN, the group Gaeun had been part of, recently wrapped its first solo concert at Kobe World Memorial Hall in Japan. The group is continuing to perform at university festivals and events such as Waterbomb Seoul 2026.