Amid 'Debt Scandal' Over Parents... Fans: "Let's Pay Off Ai Jing's Mom's 700 Million Won Debt"

A2O LITE's Ai Jing Gains Popularity as "Little BoA"
Parents' Unpaid Wage Controversy Erupts Shortly After Debut
Some Chinese Fans Propose Fundraising

Some Chinese fans have proposed paying off the debts of the parents of Ai Jing (13), a Chinese member of rookie girl group A2O LITE, produced by former SM Entertainment executive producer Lee Soo-man, after they became embroiled in controversy over unpaid wages.

Taiwanese media outlet NOWnews recently reported that, amid controversy over the unpaid wages owed by Ai Jing's parents, some fans had created a group chat and proposed helping resolve the debt.

Aiching (13), a Chinese member of rookie girl group A2O LITE. A2O LITE's official YouTube channel

Fans Propose Paying Off Parents' Debt Amid Unpaid Wage Controversy

One fan offered to lend 1,000 yuan (about 200,000 won) and proposed that large fan accounts coordinate fundraising. The fan emphasized that the money would be a loan to be repaid later, not a donation.

Another fan suggested that people willing to help form a group and invite Ai Jing's mother to join. The fan said, "I want to resolve the debt issue so that Ai Jing can enjoy the happiness of her debut."

The outlet reported, "Fans became concerned after Ai Jing was spotted looking gloomy after finishing her schedule," adding, "It was in stark contrast to how she had waved brightly onstage and sent hearts to fans."

Unpaid Employee Wages, Yet Controversy Over Large Spending on Daughter's Education

Born in Beijing in 2013, Ai Jing is known among Korean fans as "Little BoA" because of her resemblance to singer BoA. The average age of the members of A2O LITE is 15, and all nine members are minors. Three members are Chinese. The group's debut song "NEON" topped Melon's music chart just 29 hours after its release, setting a record for the fastest chart-topping debut song by a rookie group.

However, shortly after the group's debut, reports emerged that Beijing Suofeisi Education Technology Co., Ltd., operated by Ai Jing's mother, Ms. Jang, had failed to pay wages. The company reportedly had not paid its employees on time since 2024. After labor arbitration, the company agreed to repay the wages in installments, but Ms. Jang reportedly failed to keep her repayment promise just three months later. The amount subject to enforcement by a Chinese court reached 3.45 million yuan (about 690 million won).

Criticism mounted amid allegations that, even as employees went unpaid, substantial sums had been spent on the daughter's education and preparations for her debut. Ai Jing reportedly received professional dance training. Before her debut, she also took part in World of Dance (WOD) events in the United States and won the youth division at a competition in China.

After the controversy erupted, Ms. Jang acknowledged her wrongdoing on social media and said she was in discussions to resolve the debt. She also said she would fulfill her responsibilities and hoped that the parents' problems would not affect their child.

On October 14, the hashtag "Ai Jing's mother's apology" garnered 97.1 million views on Weibo and ranked eighth in real-time search rankings. Then, on October 17, the hashtag "Did she make her daughter a star with money employees earned through their blood and sweat?" surpassed 100 million views and took the top spot in the search rankings.

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