Netizens Raise Concerns After The K-Pop Company Accused Of Forcing Trainees To Send Underwear Pictures Rebrands And Releases A “Shocking” Audition Announcement
Earlier in the year, K-Pop company LPA Entertainment, home to groups such as DUSTIN, came under fire when evidence arose that the company had been asking its trainees to send them underwear pictures.
The text messages shared on news outlets showed various messages discussing the weight of the trainees and the reasons the company had for asking for pictures.
- “This is the exact picture of your weight.”
- “Weight checks are necessary because we need to know the person’s figure. If you don’t like this, how can you say you want to be a K-Pop idol?”
- “It isn’t easy to become a Kpop star in Korea. That’s why they are the world’s best.”
In headlines from various outlets, they explained that someone in the company had been asking for measurements, using the title, “[someone] asked for measurements of her body including her thighs.”
It has been posting images of group DUSTIN, which was previously under LPA Entertainment.
Netizens recently raised concerns after the company posted a new image on Instagram explaining that they were looking for new trainees to start a girl group.
The post was in both English and Korean. The company revealed they were looking for new trainees, and they didn’t care about nationalities or talent because it was something that could be improved.
In particular, one part of the statement particularly raised concerns, as the company explains, “Everyone except minors, come.”
Although there has been huge debates about debuting minors in K-Pop, many believe that the text here is less for the well-being. Considering the past of the company, many worry it could be a way to make anything they do that might be similar to the past allegations more acceptable.
Others also pointed out that changing the name to Namoo Entertainment, which is similar to the huge agency Namoo Actors, would be confusing and allow them to continue without any links to their past history.
It was unsurprising that netizens shared their fears about anyone applying for the audition, especially considering their history with groups that haven’t debuted yet and their trainees.
Considering the severity of the allegations, many netizens found it unbelievable that the company would just try and change its identity and continue as normal.
