Member KG of girl group VCHA has left the act, citing alleged mistreatment and abuse by agency JYP Entertainment.
On December 7, 17-year-old singer KG announced that she will be departing girl group VCHA, a joint venture between Republic Records and K-pop agency JYP Entertainment, and filed a lawsuit to terminate her contract.
Per Soompi, in an Instagram story, the singer shared that she decided to leave the group and agency back in May after experiencing “abuse and mistreatment” by certain staff members, which she went on to detail.
In her post, KG said she felt being in the group was “not a good environment” for her mental health, apologising to her fans for her departure. She claimed that the poor working and living conditions VCHA experienced as a group had “led a member to attempt suicide,” as well as encouraged eating disorders and self-harm.
“I am worried for the girls who remain in VCHA, my friends, who I truly love and care for,” she continued, adding that she has accumulated a “massive” amount of debt to the company while being underpaid and having “extreme limitations” imposed on the members’ personal lives.
The singer added: “I do not blame anyone for the treatment endured, but feel this is an issue that lies deep embedded in the K-pop industry. […] I hope that my leave can encourage the K-pop system to make changes for the better, in hopes of protecting the idols and trainees that remain in these companies’ hands.”
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On December 9, JYP USA released a statement refuting KG’s claims, calling them “false” and “exaggerated”. The agency said that it had been discussing a resolution with the singer’s legal representation since May, but did not receive a recent response prior to her public statement.
“We deeply regret KG’s decision to file a lawsuit and make unilateral public statements containing false and exaggerated claims,” it said, claiming that her statement has caused “significant harm” to VCHA and JYP USA.
The agency added that it will “take all necessary measures” to ensure that the group and company do not come under further harm due to this matter.
VCHA was formed in 2023 through the reality competition series A2K, which aimed to create an American girl group using the K-pop system. They made their official debut back in January with their single ‘Girls of the Year’ and opened for JYP girl group TWICE during their ‘Ready to Be’ world tour.
In March, VCHA announced that member Kaylee would be going on hiatus due to a health condition, and later dropped the single ‘Only One’. The group were originally set to make their festival debut at this year’s Lollapalooza in August, but pulled out in July due to “unforeseen circumstances”. VCHA currently comprises members Lexi, Camila, Kendall, Savanna and Kaylee.