The parents of 13-year-old Chinese K-pop idol Sheng Aijing, a member of Lee Soo-man’s newly launched girl group A2O LITE, have come under scrutiny after reports emerged that companies linked to them had allegedly failed to pay employees’ wages.
The controversy gained widespread attention in China on October 17, when the hashtag “Using Workers’ Hard-Earned Money To Pave The Way For Their Daughter’s Stardom” reportedly topped the trending topics list.
According to reports, several education-related businesses associated with Sheng’s parents had long-standing wage arrears. Despite reaching repayment agreements through labour arbitration, the companies allegedly failed to fulfil their obligations in full. The total amount subject to court enforcement reportedly reached 3.45 million yuan (approximately RM2.3 million).
The revelations sparked criticism online, with some questioning how the family could afford to support their daughter’s entertainment ambitions while allegedly failing to repay employees their wages.
On the evening of October 14, Sheng’s mother, Zhang Jing, issued a public apology on Weibo, addressing the controversy surrounding unpaid salaries at her education-related businesses.
In her statement, Zhang acknowledged that her businesses had experienced a sharp deterioration in their circumstances, resulting in serious debt disputes. She admitted that failing to make payments on time was a mistake she had to face and take responsibility for, and apologised to everyone affected.
Zhang stressed that the responsibility for the matter lay with her and her husband, insisting that their daughter had no involvement in the businesses or the disputes arising from their past operations.
She added that she was contacting the affected parties individually to negotiate solutions and pledged to continue addressing the outstanding issues to the best of her ability.
A search of Chinese corporate information platform Qichacha by reporters showed that Beijing Sophis Education Technology Co Ltd was established in July 2010, with Zhang listed as its legal representative and registered capital of two million yuan.
The company’s business scope includes education consultancy, management consultancy, corporate planning and the sale of cultural and sporting goods and toys. Zhang holds a 97% stake, while Xian Cuichan owns the remaining 3%. Sheng’s father, Sheng Jiachuan, is listed as a company supervisor.
The report also stated that Sheng’s parents are currently associated with more than 10 companies across sectors including education, childcare and food and beverage services. Several reportedly have court enforcement records or restrictions on high spending.
In August this year, Zhang and Sheng Jiachuan were listed as persons subject to court enforcement, with the total enforcement amount reported at 3.45 million yuan.
The controversy has placed renewed attention on A2O LITE, the nine-member girl group launched by former SM Entertainment founder Lee Soo-man after his departure from the company.
A2O LITE made its global debut on October 12 and released its debut single, NEON, the following day. The group consists of three Chinese members — Liang Xili, Ma Sitong and Sheng Aijing — three South Korean members, one Japanese member, one Thai member and one Japanese-American member.
Most of the members are reportedly between 13 and 15 years old. Sheng, born in 2013, was just 13 when the group debuted, prompting separate discussions about the age at which young performers should enter the entertainment industry.
According to publicly available information, Sheng is from Beijing and won the youth division at the 2024 World of Dance China national finals. She has also attracted attention among Korean internet users for her resemblance to singer BoA.
Lee founded SM Entertainment in February 1995 and helped develop major K-pop acts including H.O.T., BoA, TVXQ, Super Junior, Girls’ Generation, SHINee, f(x), EXO, Red Velvet, NCT, SuperM and aespa.
