Mother of A2O Lite member Aiqing apologizes over wage theft allegations one day after group's debut

The mother of Aiqing (13), a Chinese member of girl group A2O Lite launched by A2O Entertainment Key Producer Lee Soo-man, has acknowledged and apologized for allegations that an education company she previously ran failed to pay its employees.

On Wednesday, Aiqing's mother posted a statement on Chinese SNS platform Weibo, saying she was "sincerely sorry for causing concern over matters related to me recently."

"I ran an education-related business in the past, but as the management situation deteriorated sharply, the company fell into serious financial difficulties, which led to debt disputes," she said. "Regardless of the circumstances, failing to pay what was owed on time is a fault I must confront and take responsibility for."

She added that she was "contacting each of the relevant parties one by one to discuss solutions" and promised to "take responsibility to the end without avoiding it until all issues are resolved."

She went on to say that "the responsibility for this matter lies with us, the parents, and it is a problem we must properly resolve."

According to Chinese media including Dahe Daily, former employees of a Beijing-based education company — where Aiqing's mother served as chief executive and her father as auditor — alleged the company had withheld wages since 2024. The workers said that after going through labor arbitration and reaching an installment repayment agreement, the company made payments for only three months before falling behind again. The company has since ceased operations.

Chinese corporate information platforms show that two court-ordered enforcement cases were filed against the company and Aiqing's parents as the subjects of enforcement on Aug. 31. The total amount subject to enforcement is approximately 3.45 million yuan ($515,000).

Some online commenters have argued that the parents' financial troubles should be viewed separately from the activities of Aiqing, who is a minor. A2O Entertainment has not issued an official statement on the controversy.

Producer Lee Soo-man held a debut show Monday at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, unveiling the 15-member boy group A2O Soul and the nine-member girl group A2O Lite for the first time. A2O Lite released its debut single "NEON" on Tuesday. Aiqing, the youngest member of the group, drew the most attention at the showcase for her dancing, which reminded many of singer BoA's early career.