Espa’s lack of sexual harassment skills Continuing rumors and mysticism, Lee Soo-man’s system cracks
There is constant noise about Espa. The sexual harassment case at Gyeongbok High School and the controversy over stage manners at Korea University Festival. Espa’s unintended issue is hurting not only the members but also the fans’ hearts. Amid various controversies, criticism has been raised that Espa’s agency SM Entertainment lacks “member protection.”
Espa staged the “2022 Korea University Stone Pagoda Festival” held from the 23rd to the 26th. The response to Espa, who finished the stage, was cool. The Korean University community has heard a sad voice for Espa.
The community pointed out that Espa lip-synced. Unlike other teams who participated in the festival, the majority opinion is that there was a lack of response and stage concentration.
One netizen said, “If some members sing live because they can’t sing, their skills will be revealed.” Some said that the Espa stage costume was not prepared properly, and that it was a waste of casting money.
Espa, who debuted in November 2020. A year and a half have passed, but it is true that the stage experience with the audience is insufficient due to COVID-19. The reason why some point out that the agency needed to be protected as it is a girl group with a short career.
Domestic idols are planned according to the agency’s plan and continue their activities. The same goes for SM Entertainment. SM would have focused more on the next stage as their artists were on the unfortunate issue. This is why it makes fans feel bitter.
There have been criticisms recently that there has been a lack of protection for Espa members. Espa participated in the 101st anniversary of the opening of Gyeongbok High School on the 2nd. On the same day, proof shots of Espa attending the Gyeongbok High School event were posted online.
In the released photo, Espa was surrounded by male students and could not move. The problem is that A, who is believed to be a student at Gyeongbok High School, made a “sexual harassment remark” toward Espa. Mr. A boasted, “I did everything except touching it.”
As the controversy grew, Gyeongbok High School wrote an apology. Kyungbok High School said, “Today, the 101st anniversary of the school was held under the auspices of the Gyeongbok Dongchanghoe. Espa was invited to the ceremony to perform. However, after the event, there were media reports that unintentionally damaged Espa’s reputation, so I apologize,” he said.
SM artists often participated in Gyeongbok High School events. Some pointed out that Gyeongbok High School is the alma mater of Lee Soo-man, general producer of SM Entertainment to which Espa belongs. Idols who are loved by the public conducted their schedules according to the representative’s academic performance. Also, something unsavory happened on the schedule. Fans’ eyes on the agency were enough to sharpen.
SM Entertainment’s next-generation idol group Espa, which leads the domestic idol industry, is under fire. The ongoing controversy, regardless of purpose, hurts the group’s image. Protecting the group is entirely up to the agency. Espa’s successive problems raise questions about the SM system, which has been renowned for its thorough mysticism and meritocracy