16-Year-Old Idol Reports Malicious Comments Directly: "We Must Not Ignore Growing Hate"

Concerns Grow Among Fans Over Malicious Comments Toward Ailet Members
"Underage Members Should Not Suffer in Corporate Disputes"

As tensions escalate between entertainment agency HYBE and its subsidiary label ADOR, the girl group 'I-LIT' under HYBE has also been caught in the crossfire. This follows the appearance of an I-LIT member seemingly reporting malicious comments aimed at her during a live broadcast.

Earlier, on the 14th, I-LIT held a live broadcast celebrating their 50th day since debut on the global fan platform 'Weverse.' I-LIT is a rookie girl group under 'BELIEF LAB,' a label affiliated with HYBE.

However, after the live broadcast, a post appeared on 'X.' The netizen who posted claimed, "During today's live, I-LIT's Wonhee reported real-time malicious comments."

Ailee member Wonhee appears to be reporting malicious comments [Image source=X]

In the video attached by this netizen, while the I-LIT members were chatting, Wonhee is seen checking comments with a serious expression and then pressing a button. Fans speculated that Wonhee might have reported the comment as malicious.

The author stated, "A 16-year-old idol had to report malicious comments herself," and added, "The agency is doing nothing to protect them." Wonhee was born in 2007 and is a minor aged 16 this year. The average age of I-LIT members is 18.6 years, with only three out of five members (Yoona, Moka, Minju) being adults.

Overseas fans also reacted sensitively to the concern that a minor idol might have been exposed to malicious comments. On social media platforms like X, comments expressed worries such as "Minor members should not suffer due to corporate disputes," "The agency must take protective measures," and "Hatred is escalating."

The background to I-LIT becoming a target of malicious comments appears to be the friction between HYBE and ADOR. Last month, Min Hee-jin, CEO of ADOR, strongly criticized during a press conference regarding allegations of a 'management rights takeover attempt,' stating, "I-LIT is copying NewJeans in all areas including hair, makeup, costumes, choreography, photos, videos, and event appearances." However, she added, "What crime have the kids committed? The adults are the problem."

Meanwhile, since their debut, I-LIT has attracted public attention with their new song 'Magnetic.' They have also achieved excellent overseas results, including entering the US Billboard main chart 'Hot 100.'

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