Rookie Girl Group’s Agency Under Fire For “Oversexualization” Of Minor Members

The K-Pop girl group Busters has found itself amidst controversy again.

Busters | @busters_official/Instagram

Busters originally debuted in 2017 under Marbling Entertainment and JTG Entertainment but disbanded in 2020 after most of the original members left the company. The group re-debuted in April 2022 with members Jieun, Nami, Seira, Takara, and Minji.

(From L to R) Seira, Jieun, Takara, Nami, and Minji | @busters_official/Instagram

Since the beginning, Buster’s company has been criticized repeatedly for failing to protect the members, whether the old lineup or new. One of the main concerns surrounding this group is the over-sexualization of some of the members.

Recently, Busters held a Christmas concert and fansign, which has raised alarms about the company’s intention with the girls, who all range between ages 19 to 17. Fans found it disturbing that the members were posing bare feet in the event’s poster, and Takara’s dress was not age-appropriate for a barely 18-year-old.

| @busters_official/Instagram

When the group posted a picture from the actual concert day, netizens were even more concerned, seeing how, along with Takara, the group’s youngest Minji, who is only 17, was also dressed inappropriately.

| @busters_official/Instagram

Marbling has been previously called out for their treatment of all Busters members, most of them minors at debut. In 2020, they were under fire for pushing a former 16-year-old member, Jisoo, to model for a plastic surgery clinic. In 2019, netizens slammed the agency for sexualizing the underaged members on a live broadcast. During the same year, the company was also criticized for failing to protect the 15-year-old ex-member Chaeyeon, who was called a “prostitute” among many other derogatory slurs by a much older colleague of hers.

Former Busters members on a live broadcast where they were joined by two adult male guests | Vlive

Some concerned fans have also unearthed some questionable photoshoots of Jieun from when she was only 16.

Takara and Minji are also frequent victims of oversexualized styling, which has made them vulnerable to sexual harassment online.

here’s some of the outfits that marbling dressed minji in for these waterworld performances. just a reminder that she’s an 06 liner pic.twitter.com/qVPSv38A3p

— abs⁹ ❀ magic hour (@kangjenseo) December 4, 2023

Recently, Takara and Minji also debuted in a subunit called Busters Hip Hop Sisters with the single “Slime,” whose overtly suggestive lyrics have left netizens in disgust.

today bhs (busters hip hop sisters, consisting of takara & minji) made their subunit debut with the song “slime”, here are the song lyrics
i literally don’t have any words pic.twitter.com/sCb0s8vERh

— abs⁹ ❀ magic hour (@kangjenseo) December 18, 2023

With the company’s notorious history and the predatory comments on the group’s social media, many netizens are calling for the girls to be protected as soon as possible.

| @busters_official/Instagram