Girl group ILLIT is facing backlash after their acceptance speech at the 2024 MAMA Awards mentioned specific executives from their agency, Belift Lab. The controversy stems from the fact that these executives are currently involved in a lawsuit filed by former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin.
A Memorable Win Turns Controversial
The 2024 MAMA Awards kicked off in Los Angeles on November 21 and will continue over three days, with the last two days hosted in Japan. ILLIT, a rising girl group, won Best New Female Artist, marking a significant milestone in their career.
During their acceptance speech, Yunah of ILLIT expressed gratitude to fans, the agency, and several individuals at Belift Lab. She said:
“We thank our company members Taeho, Yoonhyuk, Gajun, Seryun, and everyone else at Belift Lab. We also want to thank the staff members who have helped us. We sincerely thank everyone.”
— Yunah
Minju also thanked fans in English, emphasizing the group’s appreciation for their support.
However, the inclusion of four specific names in the speech caught the attention of online communities.
Netizens React to the Speech
Korean netizens quickly pointed out that the names mentioned in the speech—Taeho, Yoonhyuk, Gajun, and Seryun—are the same individuals currently being sued by Min Hee Jin. This revelation sparked debate over whether the group should have avoided naming them in light of the ongoing legal issues.
Some of the comments from Korean netizens include:
“How many opportunities are they blowing? With their failed comeback, did they think that more fans would join? Uh bye…”
“They are active as idols…did they really have to mention them…”
“Why did they mention them..do they not know it’s just making their image worse…”
Other users speculated that the group might have been following a prepared script:
“Legendary lineup…lol.”
“I think the company probably wrote them a script to read…”
“How many chances are they blowing like this…”
“Are people really going to say that idols have no fault in this…the idols are literally just shields at this point.”
Public Image Under Scrutiny
The controversy adds pressure to ILLIT, who have already faced challenges with a recent comeback. While some fans continue to support the group, others feel the situation could have been handled more delicately to avoid drawing further criticism.
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