C9 Entertainment "Exposed" By Scathing Reviews From Former Employees

Amid the recent controversies surrounding Cignature‘s Jeewon, C9 Entertainment—home to artists like Younha, CIX, and EPEX—is being exposed for “running its business to the ground.”

GKe0r7hbAAAP3sf — CIX | *@CIX_Official/X*

A CIX fan took to their X (former Twitter) account, sharing screenshots from Job Planet (the Korean equivalent of Glassdoor or other workplace reviewing websites).

남아있는 사람이 미련한거 아는데 정치질 그만하시고 해야될 일 하세요
밀린게 한두가지가 아닐텐데
데뷔기념일에 커버 영상 찍고 앞으로 이런거 자주 찍어서 올리자 라고 대표라는 사람이 말했었는데 2024년인 지금까지 공식으로 업로드 된게 하나도 없음 말이나 하지 말던가요 https://t.co/T1u2gj7HaH

— cix.official (@CIX_Instagram) June 21, 2024

It’s ridiculous that people are still working at this place. Drop the office politics and focus on getting real work done. Your plates are full…

— @CIX_Instagram/X

The screenshots, containing scathing reviews from former C9 Entertainment employees, are assumed to be shared as part of #TreatCIXBetter—a movement within CIX’s fandom to hold C9 Entertainment accountable for its lack of support for CIX.

Oh my GOD.
WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL @OfficialC9ent
Are you actually seeing the difference over here?
Why are you not promoting your groups equally?
What grudge do you have against #CIX?
WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM??#CIX #EPEX #씨아이엑스 #이펙스 #C9TreatCIXBetter #TreatCIXBetter pic.twitter.com/CSRF45HCUH

— Nithu🌻| CIX and BLs are my thing ✨ (@Gajevy_Chan) June 8, 2024

Based on the reviews, K-Pop fans are now questioning whether C9 Entertainment should be discovering new talent at all. In April 2024, the management announced that a new multicultural boy group is set to debut in late 2025, with lead roles in a TBS K-Drama.

[People who keep working here are the problem. Smart people have left this place and are now working at better workplaces with better benefits. Stop stalking the ones who left and do better with the employees that you do have.]

Pros: You can work in a brand new building that isn’t in Gangnam, Hapjeong, or Seongsu.

Cons: 1. They don’t pay their employees on time. The whole industry knows.
2. The teams within the management talk sh*t on one another. They don’t have enough time to work because they spend it all criticizing each other.
3. Employees are desperate for the artists’ attention.
4. They have no money, so they had to move out of the Gangnam/Hapjeong/Seongsu area.

Comment: Get your employees under control. I say this for your future, although I doubt you’ll exist in the future.

[If the CEO likes you, you’ll get promoted. If not, you’re stuck cleaning like a maid.]

Pros: They have a lot of practice rooms…? They moved recently. IDK…

Cons: The CEO runs this place however they want. If you don’t like the way things are handled by the upper management, they’ll gang up on you and try to manipulate you. It’s also disgusting how hard the employees suck up to the artists…

Comments: I don’t think I have any suggestions to make because I doubt this place will improve.

[Office politics are far more important than actual work at this cool workplace.]

Pros: It used to be that the office was in Hapjeong, but even that’s a bust now… Maybe the taxi fare and dinner money that they provide…?

Cons: The CEO will change up the ongoing projects whenever and however they want. In the past, they were so busy playing games that they would delay a lot of work. I heard they quit games, though. Haha. There is a lot of overtime work involved, but you’re not allowed to express how you feel about it. The CEO doesn’t care why employees quit. They only care about cursing them out. The whole place is struggling because of the few employees who continue to stick around. But you know what? I hope they don’t ever change. The three employees who run the office politics… I hope they stay with C9 forever.

Comments: I don’t want anything to do with this place anymore. I don’t even want them to change. Stay like this forever.

[The Fan Marketing Team and the Upper Management will drive this business to the ground, I guarantee it.]

Pros: It’s located in a convenient part of Seoul. Unlimited dinner money.

Cons: 1. The Fan Marketing Team talks sh*t about other artists in order to highlight their own artists, and the upper management loves the tea. They find it entertaining.
2. The CEO uses vulgar language and swears at his employees.
3. Does not pay on time.
4. The upper management doesn’t really know about entertainment management, so there are no boundaries for what work belongs to which team. A handful of employees always end up taking on most of the work load. The fan marketing team only cares about one group and is only interested in working with the newer artists.

Comments: No need to change because C9 isn’t going to make it in the business for much longer.

Previously, viewers called out C9 Entertainment and the YouTube show No Bbaku Tak Jae Hoon (romanized from 노빠꾸탁재훈) for making inappropriate comments about the idol being fit for porn, and the management issued a statement that did not sit well with Cignature fans.