Fromis_9s Park Ji-Won Reveals Eight Years of No Pay, Sparks Backlash Against Pledis and HYBE

On June 17, 2026, Park Ji‑Won, a vocalist for the South Korean girl group Fromis 9, uploaded a candid clip to the YouTube channel Workdol titled “A job where you can check an idol’s salary.” In the video, she explained that she had gone eight years without receiving a paycheck, only beginning to earn a proper salary in 2024. The clip was reposted by the group’s official account, FROMIS_9 BASE, and quickly spread across Twitter, where fans and observers expressed shock and anger.

Fromis 9 made its debut on January 24, 2018 under Stone Music Entertainment, with Pledis Entertainment handling production. The group’s management journey has been turbulent: Off the Record Entertainment took the reins in September 2018, and Pledis reclaimed control in 2021. Although Pledis became a majority shareholder of HYBE in 2020, it continued to operate independently. After their contracts with Pledis expired in December 2024, the five remaining members signed with Asnd and released a new EP in June 2025.

Ji‑Won's claim that she had not earned income for eight years aligns with earlier reports that Fromis 9 members were unpaid for the first six years of their career. A May 2024 fact‑check article on Koreaboo confirmed the group had not received a settlement for seven years, while a K‑pop newswire noted that members were still awaiting their first paycheck. Ji‑Won’s 2026 video appears to confirm that the settlement began only in 2025.

The video also highlighted that the group had been placed on three separate year‑long hiatuses by former agencies, a fact that limited their earning opportunities. Twitter users reacted with hashtags such as #Pledis and #HYBE, criticizing the companies’ handling of finances. Some tweets praised HYBE’s overall treatment of artists, while others called for the company’s liquidation or the removal of its CEO. The backlash intensified because Fromis 9 had been under HYBE’s umbrella—South Korea’s largest entertainment conglomerate—for most of its career.

Pledis Entertainment has faced other controversies, including a March 2023 lawsuit against former PRISTIN member Kyulkyung for breach of contract. The label has yet to issue a statement regarding Ji‑Won’s allegations, and HYBE has not publicly responded. The silence from both entities has left fans and industry observers with more questions than answers.

Fromis 9’s situation underscores broader labor concerns in the K‑pop industry. Delayed payments and hiatus‑related income loss are not unique to this group; other idols have reported similar issues. The sector has come under scrutiny for its contract structures and the financial treatment of artists. Ji‑Won’s disclosure adds to a growing list of cases that may prompt regulatory agencies to examine talent contracts more closely.

At this juncture, the only confirmed fact is that Ji‑Won did not receive a paycheck until 2024 and has only recently begun earning a proper salary. No official statements have been released by Pledis or HYBE to confirm or deny the claim. The next steps for the group and the companies remain unclear, and no settlement or policy change has been announced. The Workdol channel, which focuses on industry transparency, has previously hosted interviews with idols who have discussed contract disputes. In a 2024 episode featuring former Seventeen member Woozi, the channel highlighted delayed payments and the lack of clear financial statements. Ji‑Won’s video follows this trend, providing a first‑hand account that has sparked a surge of tweets, with the hashtag #Fromis9Pay trending for over 1,200 posts in the first 24 hours.

Industry analysts note that the K‑pop payment model often relies on revenue from music sales, concerts, and endorsements, but the distribution of these earnings is not always transparent. A 2023 report by the Korean Fair Trade Commission highlighted that several agencies had delayed or withheld payments to artists. Ji‑Won’s disclosure adds to a growing list of cases that may influence future regulatory scrutiny of talent contracts.