Former K-Pop Idol Comes Under Fire After Allegedly “Stealing The Spotlight” Of The Girl Group She’s Managing
It seems like the world of K-Pop never stops, with groups debuting and older idol groups slowing down and venturing into new activities in the industry. Recently, a former idol has gained criticism from Korean netizens after allegedly “stealing the spotlight” from a group she is now the CEO of. The CEO in question created the group called CLASS:y.
The young girl group gained attention on the show MBC survival show My Teenage Girl. Yet, along with the talent of the members, the group has gained attention after finding out about their CEO Cho Lee Hyeon.
If the name seems familiar, she is actually better known as Seunghee and is a former member of the groups 5DOLLS and DIA. Yet, she is currently a producer at POCKETDOL STUDIO (for group BAE173) and the CEO of M25, who manages CLASS:y.
In the past, Cho Lee Hyeon had gained attention for her role in the two decently-known groups. But recently, she has come under fire for allegedly stealing the spotlight of the groups she produced. In particular, real anger was sparked when a photo was shared on the company’s Instagram.
In the photo that seemed to be posted around Chuseok, netizens noticed that Cho Lee Hyeon was in the center, and many almost mistook her as the center member. Others pointed out that her presence meant that other members had to be cut off from the center image.
When the pictures were released and shared, netizens couldn’t hide their anger. Although Cho Lee Hyeon is a former idol, many believe that her priorities should’ve changed when taking care of CLASS:y. They also shared their anger that she is using the group to “promote” herself.
- “The way she’s in the center of the hanbok group picture while one of the members had her face cut off. LOL.”
- “She wants to be a celebrity but doesn’t have what it takes.”
- “Um…… Just debut yourself.”
- “If this was being done to my biases, I’d be f*cking pissed. And the member’s face being cut off in the hanbok picture upload? WTH.”
- “Stop stealing the spotlight from the members. What are you doing, woman?”
Yet, this wasn’t the first time many have noticed that Cho Lee Hyeon seemed to be allegedly “stealing the spotlight.”
In particular, when it was revealed that she would be involved in BAE173’s comeback earlier in the year, the headlines seemed more centered around her, saying, “Cho Lee Hyeon, CLASS:y’s CEO, Will Work Toward BAE173’s Comeback In August.”
I’m not an ELSE (BAE173 fan). I’m just frustrated because CLASS:y from My Teenage Girls is already struggling right after their debut. And I feel terrible for BAE173, too. Cho Lee Hyeon needs to decide if she wants to be an idol producer or an idol herself. She keeps peeping around TV shows and not doing actual work for the artists. She’s only trying to look like she knows what she’s doing… Damn it, talking about it is pissing me off all over again.
— OP
Although many international fans see it more as cementing a familial bond, comparing other photos of CEOs with their groups, many Korean netizens have stronger views that the former idol appears to be trying to “live through the group” or “steal the spotlight.“
