The all-Japanese K-Pop girl group SKYGIRLS, who debuted in Korea in 2019, have recently come into the spotlight after accusing their former agency of abusing their power over them. In an interview with a Japanese media outlet on April 12, the members revealed that they filed a complaint for damages and disbanded after a year due to the alleged exploitation and control they faced.

The group was launched as a joint venture between Sky Entertainment in Japan and One Top Entertainment in Korea. However, the members claim that Sky Entertainment committed sexual harassment against them, withheld their wages, and abused their power. The group was eventually able to terminate their exclusive contracts with Sky Entertainment and file a lawsuit.

Despite the members' claims, Sky Entertainment denied any wrongdoing and insisted that the girls had breached their 10-year contract by voluntarily withdrawing. The agency also demanded compensation for damages of 15 million JPY (113,004 USD), including activity expenses and cancellation fees, and filed a lawsuit against the members at the Tokyo District Court.

In court, the members testified that the agency's representative would not leave the waiting room when they were changing clothes and sexually harassed them by touching their bodies and making inappropriate comments such as "It would be better if your hips were larger." The members also reported experiencing stress due to being called "pigs" for not losing weight in time, being pressured to undergo plastic surgery, and verbally abused.

Although the Tokyo District Court acknowledged the termination of the contract, the ruling did not address the sexual harassment or abuse of power allegations made by the members. Nonetheless, the ruling drew the attention of the Japanese media, which is saying this is "the other side of K-pop."

The former members of SKYGIRLS have since spoken out about the abuse they faced, including the strict control and monitoring of their daily lives. Karina, who was a member of SKYGIRLS, said, “I had to report where I was going every day from the time I woke up. I had to report that I went to the supermarket and if I was on the subway. I had no personal private time. I also couldn't sing because I would have panic attacks because I was afraid I would get in trouble again." Former member Luna also shared, "I got nosebleeds and was dizzy every day due to extreme dieting but they didn't even give me time to rest."

The media highlighted that although there are approximately one million trainees aspiring to become idols in Korea, only around 100 succeed. They urged aspiring idol trainees to be careful when choosing an agency, as small companies may be more likely to exploit them.

Despite their dreams of becoming K-pop idols, all members of SKYGIRLS have returned to Japan and are now working regular jobs. They have all expressed their reluctance to return to the K-pop industry after their experiences.