Lee Soo Man’s New 13-Year-Old Idol Aijing Dragged Into Parents’ Unpaid Wages Scandal, Former Employee Makes Shocking New Claim

The parents of Aijing, a member of the new girl group A2O LITE introduced by producer Lee Soo Man, are embroiled in an unpaid wages controversy, and a former employee claiming to be a victim has made additional revelations.

On October 18, a post by a netizen who claims to have worked at the company run by Aijing’s parents spread on Chinese social media. The netizen claimed they asked for their overdue wages to pay for their father’s funeral but received only 1,000 yuan (approximately $140).

They said, “My father was critically ill at the time and eventually passed away. My older sister quit her job to care for our father, so I was the family’s only source of income. I asked the company for money because I had to hold his funeral, but I was told there was no money at all.”

They continued, “After I even called them directly, the money I received was only 1,000 yuan. I worked diligently for several years and even worked overtime, yet in the middle of the major event of my father’s death, they gave me just that amount… I will never forget it for the rest of my life.”

Earlier, on October 13, Chinese media outlets including Daxiang Daily and Fengmian News reported allegations that an education company run by Aijing’s parents in Beijing had failed to pay its employees’ wages. According to a local corporate information platform, compulsory enforcement cases worth about 3.45 million yuan (approximately $480,000) were found under the company and the parents’ names.

As the controversy grew, Aijing’s mother acknowledged the unpaid wages and apologized on social media on October 14, saying, “The management situation of the education-related business we ran in the past deteriorated rapidly, and a debt dispute arose.” She said they are discussing solutions with the people involved, but stressed, “The responsibility for this incident is something we, her parents, must take on and resolve,” adding that their daughter has nothing to do with the business or the dispute.

However, criticism continued in China even after the apology. On October 17, a hashtag meaning “Did she support her daughter’s star activities with the blood and sweat money of employees?” ranked No. 1 on Weibo’s trending searches.

Online outlet Kankan News pointed out on October 16 that wage arrears had already occurred at the mother’s company when Aijing won a dance competition in 2024, and that a promise of installment payments was not kept when she competed in a world dance competition in the United States in 2025. Chinese media outlet Yangcheng Evening News also urged actual repayment of the debt, saying, “No matter how good an apology letter is written, it is not as good as repaying the money.”

Aijing’s past overseas travel photos were also shared on Chinese social media and became a target of criticism. One netizen introduced a photo of Aijing resting with a group as a Thailand trip photo and criticized, “They have the money to enjoy a Thailand trip but don’t pay their employees’ salaries.” However, when and where the photo was taken has not been confirmed.

Meanwhile, A2O LITE, which 13-year-old Aijing belongs to, released its debut single “NEON” on October 13 and began activities. The song ranked No. 1 on Melon’s “TOP 100” chart at 11 PM on October 14.

Source: (A)