'Average Age 8' Chinese Idol Group Disbands After 5 Days Amid Child Exploitation Controversy

Cheonbu Boy Scouts
Photo by Baidu Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] The Chinese idol group 'Cheonbu Boy Band,' with an average age of 8, disbanded just five days after their debut amid criticism of child exploitation.

According to Fengpai on the 25th, Cheonbu Boy Band's agency announced the group's disbandment on Weibo (the Chinese version of Twitter) the previous night.

In a statement, the agency said, "After internal discussions, we have decided to disband Cheonbu Boy Band and will diligently proceed with follow-up work," adding, "We appreciate the criticism from various sectors of society and netizens."

Cheonbu Boy Band, consisting of seven children, was embroiled in controversy immediately upon their debut on the 20th.

The average age was 8, with the oldest member being only 11 and the youngest just 7. As a result, some netizens criticized the group as "exploiting children for profit," accusing them of child exploitation.

The media also joined in the criticism.

China CCTV commented, "Children should never be made into a source of profit, and they should not debut before finding their path in life," while Beijing Youth Daily criticized, "Raising young children as idols is essentially an act of child abuse."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.