A2O LITE, a new nine-member girl group produced by SM Entertainment founder Lee Soo-man (이수만), was highly anticipated as his return to the K-pop scene after a three-year hiatus. However, shortly after their debut, 13-year-old member AIJING (盛艾敬) became entangled in a family controversy. Her mother was recently accused of failing to pay employee wages while running a company, even facing court-ordered enforcement. The news quickly sparked heated discussion. Despite AIJING's mother issuing an apology on Weibo, admitting responsibility for the unpaid wages and pleading for her daughter to be spared, more revelations have since emerged, escalating the situation.
AIJING quickly garnered attention after her debut, with some netizens noting her resemblance to BoA (보아) in her early career, leading to high expectations for her future. Unexpectedly, just as her entertainment career was beginning, reports of her parents' involvement in wage disputes made her the unexpected focus of public scrutiny.
According to information circulating online, AIJING's mother, identified as Ms. Zhang, who operates Beijing Sophis Education Technology Co., Ltd., has been accused of defaulting on employee salaries since 2024. After labor arbitration, a phased repayment agreement was reached, but the company reportedly honored it for only about three months before defaulting again. Her father, Mr. Sheng Mou-chuan, also has multiple education companies under his name that have records of court-ordered enforcement. Related information indicates that the total amount involved in the couple's enforcement cases is as high as 3.45 million RMB, approximately 15.5 million New Taiwan Dollars.
Addressing public criticism, AIJING's mother first apologized to the affected employees, stating, "Regardless of any objective difficulties at the time, failing to pay due amounts on time is a mistake I must acknowledge and take responsibility for." She also expressed regret to all those who suffered losses, hoping the public would understand that this incident should be borne by the parents, and that her daughter has no direct connection to her past business operations or related disputes. She pleaded with the public not to shift responsibility onto her child.
However, this apology did not quell the controversy. As the incident continued to unfold, AIJING's past entertainment experiences, including participating in competitions in the U.S., as well as appearing in advertisements and dramas, were re-examined. This led some netizens to question the source of her training and entertainment resources. Some even linked the family's financial disputes to her debut background, calling her a "debtor's daughter," shifting the discussion from her stage presence and visuals to her family background and moral responsibility.
Recently, AIJING's family controversy once again became a trending topic on the Korean forum theqoo. Netizens further uncovered alleged victim testimonies, claiming that one employee, whose father was critically ill at the time of the unpaid wages and later passed away, had pleaded with AIJING's mother for at least partial funeral expenses but only received 1,000 RMB. These claims sparked strong backlash among Korean netizens.
In fact, AIJING initially received considerable praise on Korean online platforms, with some netizens even expressing that she was the first foreign member they wanted to follow, demonstrating the level of expectation she initially garnered. However, as her parents' wage dispute escalated, public opinion shifted significantly. Many Korean netizens stated that even if the daughter herself was not directly involved, it was difficult to accept her gaining attention as an idol while her parents' controversy remained unresolved.
The comment sections on Korean online communities were filled with criticism. Some questioned, "How can people still praise her skills and cuteness when her parents' controversy is so severe?" Others pointed out, "I heard her brother is still studying abroad in the U.S. Is it that they don't have money to repay, or that they have money but refuse to?" Some netizens even alleged that in addition to unpaid wages, the related education businesses were involved in controversies such as collecting kindergarten tuition fees and then closing down, suggesting that the issue might not just be simple wage theft but fraud. "I heard that besides unpaid wages, they also collected kindergarten tuition and then ran away, they're basically fraudsters." "I heard her parents' fraud left 160 families with children unable to attend kindergarten, lol. If they spent so much money at the academy to go to Thailand..." "Wasn't this group made for the Chinese market? Is it right to debut the daughter of criminals?"
Furthermore, some netizens targeted AIJING's debut resources, arguing that if her upbringing and entertainment training were indeed supported by family funds, it would inevitably raise public questions while her parents' disputes remained unresolved. Some even stated directly, "If parents use improper means to acquire money, allowing their child to live a privileged life while victims fall into hardship, how can such a controversy be easily forgotten?"
Other netizens drew comparisons to Lee Seung-gi's (이승기) past criticism over his in-laws' controversy. "Lee Seung-gi isn't even their own parents, but he was heavily criticized just because of his father-in-law." "This is the same as when Lee Yu-bi (이유비) was criticized; how can people still defend her saying she's an idol, when there are victims, yet she's so shameless?"
From being highly anticipated at her debut to now being embroiled in a public outcry due to her parents' financial disputes, AIJING's nascent career has been overshadowed. Whether this controversy will subside as her parents resolve the issues, or if it will continue to impact her development in the Korean market, remains a focal point of public attention.
