A2O LITE's Ijjing's mother: "Wage arrears are my responsibility... it has nothing to do with my daughter."

Lee Soo-man's new girl group member, resembling BoA, sparks controversy over parentsAiching's mother: "I will take responsibility until the end without evading it."Aiching (center) of girl group A2O LITE was embroiled in controversy over her parents' company operations immediately after her debut. The photo shows A2O LITE performing at the 'WELCOME TO SOULITE From A2O SOUL A2O LITE' debut show held on the 12th. /Reporter Kim Sung-ryeol[THE FACT | Reporter Moon Chae-young] The mother of Aiching, a member of the rookie girl group A2O LITE, has admitted to and apologized for wage arrears related to a company she previously operated.A2O Entertainment, the agency of A2O LITE, delivered Aiching's mother's statement to on the 14th. Aiching's mother bowed her head, saying, "I sincerely apologize for causing concern with matters related to me."She continued, "I previously operated an education-related business, but as the management situation rapidly worsened, the company fell into severe financial difficulties, leading to debt disputes. Regardless of any objective circumstances, failing to pay the amounts that should have been paid on time is a mistake that I must face and take responsibility for," she said. "I deeply apologize to all those who have been harmed."She also addressed the current situation. Aiching's mother stated, "I have consistently strived to resolve the issues quickly, but after the company faced a management crisis, combined with changes in the industry's business environment, the problems could not be resolved as initially expected." She added, "I am currently contacting and discussing solutions with all relevant parties one by one. I will not evade responsibility and will take responsibility until all issues are resolved."However, she emphasized that it has nothing to do with her daughter, Aiching. "The responsibility for this incident is a matter that parents must bear and resolve appropriately," she said. "My child has no relation to the business I previously operated or the related disputes."Finally, Aiching's mother promised to do her best to resolve the situation. "I sincerely apologize once again to all those who have been harmed," she said. "I will continue to do my best to resolve the outstanding issues. I will fulfill the responsibilities I must bear."A2O LITE is a new girl group newly introduced by former SM Entertainment Chief Producer Lee Soo-man. The photo shows them performing at the 'WELCOME TO SOULITE From A2O SOUL A2O LITE' debut show held on the 12th. /Reporter Kim Sung-ryeolPreviously, on the 12th, A2O Entertainment, founded by former SM Entertainment Chief Producer Lee Soo-man, held a debut show for boy group A2O SOUL and girl group A2O LITE, titled 'WELCOME TO SOULITE From A2O SOUL A2O LITE,' at KINTEX in Ilsanseo-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi Province.A2O SOUL and A2O LITE are the first groups to be introduced after the non-compete agreement signed when Lee Soo-man sold his stake in SM Entertainment to HYBE in 2023 was lifted, attracting much attention. In particular, Aiching, a Chinese national, set the online world ablaze with her visuals and dancing skills reminiscent of BoA's early debut.However, immediately after the debut show, allegations arose on Chinese online communities that the company operated by Aiching's parents was in arrears with wage payments. According to reports from Chinese media outlets Dahebao and Fengmian News on the 13th, former employees of an education company based in Beijing, where Aiching's mother is the CEO and her father is the auditor, claim that the company has been in arrears with wage payments since 2024. They claim that after labor arbitration, an installment payment agreement was reached, but the company only fulfilled it for three months before falling into arrears again.Court enforcement records were also reported. Dahebao reported that there are two court enforcement cases on the corporate information platform with the company and Aiching's parents as the execution debtors. The company and Aiching's parents were included in the enforcement targets, and the enforcement amount is approximately 3.45 million yuan (about 690 million won). However, it has not been confirmed whether this amount is for unpaid wages.Debates continue among Chinese netizens. Opinions are sharply divided between "They have the financial means to educate and debut their children, but not the money to pay off debts?" and "A 13-year-old member should not be held responsible for her parents' disputes."[Entertainment Department | ssent@tf.co.kr]mcy21@tf.co.kr