"Child Abuse vs. Exaggerated Claims"
A member of JYP's American girl group 'VCHA' has filed a lawsuit against the agency. She claims to have suffered severe abuse from JYP USA. JYP USA countered by saying it's a "false and exaggerated claim."
VCHA's KG (real name Keira Grace Mather, 17) issued a statement via her Instagram story on the 7th. She revealed, "I have experienced abuse and unfair treatment from specific JYP employees."
She decided to terminate her contract in May. "I decided to terminate my contract with JYP and leave VCHA, and have filed a lawsuit," she stated, adding, "I still hope the contract will be terminated."
She continued, "I do not support the work and living environment that led a member to attempt an extreme choice," claiming, "I do not support the environment that promotes eating disorders and self-harm among members."
She also criticized the settlement system. "I accumulated a massive amount of company debt. My privacy was extremely restricted, yet the salary was also very low," she complained.
Fundamentally, she pinpointed this as a chronic issue in the K-pop industry. "I want to thank Park Jin-young (JY Park, executives, and training staff)," she mentioned, adding, "I don't wish to blame anyone. This is a problem rooted in the K-pop industry."
Finally, KG expressed gratitude for "the friendships I made and the opportunity to perform for audiences worldwide," requesting, "Please continue to support VCHA even without me."
JYP USA argued that KG's claims were exaggerated. On the 9th, they stated, "KG left the group residence in May and began discussions with legal representatives," and "We have been seeking solutions through discussions with her representatives."
However, there has been no response from KG's side recently. JYP USA noted, "We are waiting for further contact from KG's representatives."
They also expressed regret about the lawsuit. "It's a one-sided public statement containing false and exaggerated claims," they added, "These actions have caused considerable damage to VCHA and other members of JYP USA."
Meanwhile, VCHA is a six-member girl group formed through 'America2Korea' (A2K). 'A2K' is a collaboration project between JYP and Republic Records. VCHA officially debuted on January 26.
<Photo source=KG Instagram>
