Why is the ‘Under Fifteen’ producer and CEO Seo Hye-jin being sued? Complete drama explained

Seo Hye-jin, CEO of CREA Studio and producer of Under Fifteen, is in hot water.

According to the reports in the Korean media outlets, Jin has been facing legal action from her contestants who have accused her of sexualizing minors. The lawsuit is filed by two teen finalists on September 15, 2025, who were selected for the debut group. After appointing their legal representatives, they filed for an injunction to suspend their contracts with CREA Entertainment at the Seoul Western District Court.

The program focuses on selecting and promoting girls under the age of 15 for a K-pop girl group. The show sparked controversy when it demanded the participants wear excessive makeup and adult-style clothing.

When the show got canceled in both Korea and Japan, Seo Hye Jin reportedly attempted to push the project into Southeast Asia.

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All about the ‘Under Fifteen’ case, which sued CEO Seo Hye-jin

The Under Fifteen show was originally scheduled to air in March 2025. However, the show was cancelled days before its premiere. On March 28, this year, the Crea Studio production company released a statement and said:

"After deep consideration, we have decided that it will be best to cancel the scheduled broadcast and focus on protecting the participants and reorganizing the program. Moving forward, we will do our best to produce the program in a way that ensures the essence of the show is not damaged while making sure the sincerity of the participants is properly delivered.”

The show involved 59 girls aged 15 or younger, competing to become the country’s next biggest pop star sensation. During the launch of the show, Seo Hye-jin said:

An upcoming K-pop audition show has drawn criticism from fans worldwide, with many condemning its premise of recruiting girls — all under the age of 15 — to compete for a spot in a new idol group. Experts argue the show exposes minors to potential exploitation and sexualization under the guise of entertainment.

The program under fire, broadcaster MBN's "UNDER15," features 59 young girls born after 2009 as contestants, labeling itself as the "world's first K-pop prodigy discovery project for contestants under 15."

During the launch of Under Fifteen, Seo Hye-jin, CEO of Crea Studio, known for producing the popular trot show franchises, Miss Trot and Mister Trot, said:

"We are aiming to select members who can lead the K-pop scene, chosen directly by our viewers. I might get criticized for saying this, but our goal is to create an 'underage BLACKPINK.'"

The accused said that they wanted to cancel Under Fifteen once the broadcast was blocked, but were allegedly pressured by CEO Seo Hye-jin to continue with the program despite the cancellation. The contestants added that she reacted to her withdrawal requests by saying,

“I won’t let you go easily.”

According to KoreaBoo, their legal representative said:

“Changing the country of activity is not a minor adjustment but a major alteration that makes the ultimate goal of ‘debuting as a K-pop idol’ impossible. Forcing long-term overseas stays and activities robs the contestants of their right to education and attempts to shift the burden of massive production losses from the failed domestic broadcast onto the participants.”

The contestants who filed the complaint signed contracts with the show in October and November last year. They signed exclusive contracts in January. Seo Hye-jin also tried to air the show in Japan, rebranding it as A Star is Born – Girls Chasing Dreams. But, she was accused of trying to “sneakily bypass” criticism.

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