Thursday, September 25, 2025
"He likes black stockings and killer heels" ... CJ Chairman Lee Jaehyun's secret auditions
The chairman's taste is clear.
Black: He likes black skirts. If the woman has pretty legs, black stockings are highly recommended.
Killer heels: He likes tall women. To be more exact, tall and slim women.
Hair: Hair must not be tied up. It should flow freely when they dance.
CJ group is the home of audition shows. So far, it has produced 34 audition shows in total, including Superstar K, Produce 101, Idol School, Girls Planet, and Boys Planet. From these auditions, came IOI, WannaOne, IZONE, Kep1er, and ZB1 (Produce X 101 was tainted by manipulation scandals).
The chairman himself also enjoys personal 'auditions.' He held secret parties, inviting hostesses from adult entertainment venues, AfreecaTV BJs, influencers, and unknown celebrities. Why does Lee Jaehyun seek tall, thin women? Dispatch investigated the Chairman's secret audition. His 'hobby' was being on the verge of being illegal.
"Would you like to join the party?"
Like a scene from Squid Game, a mysterious message arrived via DM: "Would you like to come to a DJ party?" Ms. A instantly understood the subject. She realized it was a DJ party hosted b Lee Jaehyun, the chairman of CJ Group. A recalled to Dispatch, "I've attended the chairman's party before. It was as secretive as a 007 operation."
Dispatch obtained an invitation sent by the manager (The women who attended the party called the recruiter 'manager): "Hello. I'm contacting you to confirm the meeting for tomorrow. Please let me know if there are any changes. I'll see you at XXX in Cheongdam-dong"
"We'll evaluate your appearance"
To attend the DJ party, Ms. B had to go through four steps. First was a face-to-face meeting. She met the manager at a cafe in Cheongdam-dong and was evaluated on her looks. Ms. B told Dispatch, "It was a screening for the party attendees. They interviewed aout 4-6 people at once. They checked our faces, height, and bodies."
Since Ms. B had attended Lee Jaehyun's party in the past, she was already on the list. The meeting was just a formality to check her looks. Ms. B stated, "The meeting lasted about 2-3 minutes. They were just checking my appearance. The rest happened on KakaoTalk. We decided on a nickname and negotiated the pay. The date, location, and other details were also sent via text message."
“Time, Place, Occasion”
This is the invitation that Ms. A received on KakaoTalk. First of all, time.
Manager: We need to confirm the number of people for the party by the weekend. You can't come?
Ms. A: No,I can come.
Next, the location was shared.
Manager: Please come to the XXth floor of the OO building, XXX Dosan-daero, on (date).
Finally, the dress code was given.
Ms. A: Are there any style preferences?
Manager: Mostly, people wear a lot of black. If you have pretty legs, wear black stockings. Go for slim and glamorous. Heels must be high, at least 9cm. Don't tie your hair up, leave it down.
"COVID-19 test required, eliminated if tested positive"
Dispatch went to the address provided on KakaoTalk. It was the first gathering point for the party attendees. It used to be a dermatology clinic, but is now empty. What is the connection between the clinic and the party? We were able to get the answer from Ms. C, who explained, "They sent me the location. When I went there, it was a clinic. They told me to take a COVID test first. After the test was over, they would send us another address via KakaoTalk."
Dispatch managed to get in touch with a representative from the clinic, who explained, "Tall, slim women came often. I thought they were models. They just got a COVID-19 test and left." The representative added, "It's hard to forget them. Many of them came wearing killer heels at the same time. After the test, they moved to another location. I heard them talk about calling for cars."
“Location → Move → Switch, a 007 Spy Party”
According to Ms. C, there were three location changes before arriving at the party: Clinic → S Gallery → Party venue. The process of moving was carried out with strict security. Dispatch cross-checked Ms. A's messages with Ms. C's testimony. For reference, Ms. A and Ms. C do not know each other at all. However, their movements matched exactly.
First, the texts Ms. A received: 1) XXX Dosan-daero. It was the clinic. 2) Next was XX Cheongdam-dong. It was in front of the S Gallery. 3) The next coordinates were 6 photos instead of an address.
Manager: You can just walk by following the order of the photos.
The place Ms. A walked to by following the photos was a fashion brand store 160 meters away from the S Gallery. Chairman Lee Jaehyun's party was held on the 6th floor of that building. The location matched the final destination Ms. C arrived at.
Ms. C said, "The first address I received was the clinic. I got a COVID-19 test there and then received the next address, it was the S Gallery. I received another address again after that."
"I'm going to be the Empress of CJ!"
Ms. D also had also attended Lee Jaehyun's party before, but she failed to catch the chairman's eye. Later, she received another invitation with the condition to bring one pretty friend. Ms. D was fully determined. She aimed to be a 'regular' member. Lee Jaehyun's party members are divided into 'regulars' and 'new faces.' Ms. D desperately hoped to be chosen as a 'regular' member in this audition.
Dispatch obtained KakaoTalk messages Ms. D sent to an acquaintance. Her efforts were evident.
Ms. D: I must become a regular member tomorrow. I'm going to go from concubine all the way to empress. I need to practice my dancing today. The party will be mine. These killer heels are seriously high. I think they make me 170cm tall!
However, Ms. D failed again. She was eliminated from the audition again. She later complained, "He only kept the dancer Unnies near him." She continued, "A younger friend of mine got the girlfriend role, so she didn't even have to dance. If you become a regular member, you can even go to the Friday parties. There's a gathering just for the regular members. 10 Million KRW for 3 days, my friend said."
"The Chairman is coming! Everyone, stand up!"
Dispatch intensively investigated Chairman Lee Jaehyun's DJ parties for the past two months. We met with over 8 people, including women who attended the parties, their acquaintances, and more. The types of parties they described varied. There were also reports that the level of the parties differed depending on the theme (We are only disclosing the parts that were consistent).
The common features of the parties include #The Chairman is coming, #Everyone stand up, #Small talk, #Phone collection, #Explicit dances, #The Chairman's DJing, #Cash envelopes. Ms. A, B, C, and D entered the party by going through five-steps process that include a face-to-face meeting, a COVID-19 test, location changes, and finally meeting the chairman.
Ms. A recalled, "A regular member shouted, "The chairman is coming," while running. One person helped her and another one shouted, "Everyone, stand up!""
"Please hand over your phones."
The party began with small talk. All members handed over their phones. The chairman also chatted with the regular members he saw often. Then came the second session on a different floor. There was a DJ booth and a karaoke machine. Each women took turns dancing competitively.
Ms. A described it as an "Explicit, 19+ dance." Ms. B said it was "Like AfreecaTV streamers pushing for 'star balloons." Ms. D described it as a "Cheap, vulgar dancing." The highlight was provided by Chairman Lee Jaehyun who DJed for an hour.
Ms. A explained the atmosphere of the scene saying, "The regular members urged the new faces to react by saying things like, "You're so good," "This is so much fun," or "You're so cool."
And so, the party ended. The finale was a chef's dinner. Chairman Lee Jaehyun and the party members moved to a different location to enjoy dinner prepared by a famous chef. Of course, it was not the end. Ms. B said, "He kept one member who danced the best that day. The rest of us were given cash and left."
"1.5 million KRW, paid in cash."
The number of party members was around 7 to 8 people, 4 to 5 of them were regular members and the rest were new faces. A regular member could be cut at any time and a new face member could be promoted at any time, depending on Chairman Lee Jaehyun.
So, how much did they receive? Chairman Lee Jaehyun allocated 2 Million KRW per member. The party manager took 500,000 KRW, and the members received 1.5 M KRW each.
Dispatch obtained evidence of the payment: 1.5 M KRW in 50,000 bills inside a white envelope. It was an untraceable transaction with no bills. The party consisted of about 8 women, so the cash alone amounted to 16 M KRW. They set up luxury wine, famous chefs, venue rental, security, staff. An insider revealed, "A single party costs at least 20 M KRW. Sometimes they had them 2-3 times a week. An enormous amount of money is spent on personal entertainment."
"Selling to women, buying women"
The core customer base of the CJ group is women. Many of the viewers of their audition programs are women. 76% of Olive Young's customers as of 2024 is also women. While Chairman Lee Jaehyun sells products to women he himself bought women. 'Slender,' 'Black stockings,' 'Killer heels'... To fulfill his desires, he reduced women to mere tools.
His hyprocrisy clashes with CJ's corporate ethics. In public, he promote healthy women, while behind closed doors, he objectified and commodifies them.
-> Sexual objectification: Treating women as objects or tools to satisfy sexual desires, not as individuals.
-> Sexual commodification: The act of buying and selling sexual attractiveness like a product.
Can this be simply dismissed as a quirky hobby of a Chaebol chairman? Chairman Lee Jaehyun's secret parties are not a personal misconduct, but a matter of corporate responsibility. Only ONe is CJ's top value. If corporate operations collides with personal desire, one must be given up. He is the leader of a group that generates 43 T KRW in revenue.
https://m.entertain.naver.com/home/article/433/0000121188
-Ah... That is so disgusting and filthy.
-Wasn't he the chairman who was supposedly sick?? Ugh, seriously... What's wrong with him?
-This is sickening.
-I hope he gos down in flames.
-How did they not stop this?
-Even broke men act up, so someone like him would be even worse... It's not surprising.
-Do you think he's the only Chaebol who acts like this?ㅋㅋ
-Why are men like this?
-Did he really think something like this wouldn't get out?
-If he likes black stockings and killer heels so much, he should just wear and put it on himself.
Someone said that our personality is similar to our bias', that's why they seem lovable to us
자신은 최애랑 비슷한성격인거ㄹㅇ인게
— 이상하다ㅇㅅㅇ (@Handsomeleesang) September 23, 2025
나 최애이상원인데 ㅈㄴ멘헤라여서 옆에 안정형친구들잇음 pic.twitter.com/QBqh02PSdE
Guys... I just heard something scary... Someone said that our personality is similar to our bias'.... That's why they seem to lovable to us... We're basically projecting out narcissism onto the person...
QRT: The reason why I believe this is real because my bias is Lee Sangwon. I'm a total train wreck, so I always have my emotionally stable friends near me.
이건 심리학적으로 끌림이 두가지 있는데
— 여루 (@yeolookitsune) September 23, 2025
한면은 사람이 본인이랑 비슷한 사람한테 호감이 가는 거고
한명은 사람이 본인이랑 아예 다른 정반대인 사람한테 호감도 느끼는 거엿음… https://t.co/wLuKdMk4L6
Psychologically, there are two types of attraction:
One is when people who are drawn to those similar to themselves and the other is when people are attracted to someone completely opposite.
-That makes no sense.
-I want to have a personality that's similar to my bias'... I... am nothing like thatㅠ
-I think I like my bias because they're different from me... My bias is super social, friendly, and a total sweetheart. I want to be like them.
-Nope, I'm nothing like my biasㅠㅋㅋㅋㅋ I like my bias because they're mentally strong and hardworkingㅋㅋ
-There are some parts of our personalities that are similar.
-I think it's less about being similar and more about me wishing I hd the qualities they have.
-My bias and I are the complete oppositeㅋㅋ
-People even say that I look like my biasㅋㅋㅋ
-Oh... I think we're kinda similarㅋㅋㅋ My friends even say, "Are you seriously stanning the other version of yourself?"ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Our MBTIs are not exactly the same. My bias is INFP and I'm ENFP, so I understand their actions and thoughts really wellㅋㅋㅋ But tat the same time, they're more introverted than me and we have different music tastes, which is really interesting.
-I think so too. I've always stanned people with F type MBTIㅋㅋ Even the athlete that I like nowㅋㅋ
-No way.
-Yeah and they have traits that I wish I had.
-No way. I just like my bias because they're good looking. In reality, their personalities are so f*cking exhausting.
-I just like my bias for their looks, though?
Aespa performs 'Rich Man' on The Jennifer Hudson Show
-I think they did well this time. You can definitely feel the live energy.
-They did really well, but honestly, I'm not really into the song and choreography this time. I prefer something like 'Whiplash.'
-Whoa... I just watched this randomly... Aespa sings so well. I think I'm going to become a fanㅋㅋ
-Is Aespa targeting the U.S. market too?? They seem to be working so hard on their U.S. promotions.
-This is way better than I expected, though?? I was really disappointed with their last stage, so I was surprised by how good this one is.
-What's with the song, though...? It doesn't suit the title at all... Why did they sing it like that?
-Oh... There's a huge difference between having backup dancers vs not. having them.
-They did well... They're a group that always does well anyway.
-They sound amazing. Why did their agency make them lipsync all this time?
-The stage performance is so much better when they sing live.
-They're so good. Please keep singing live.
-Now this is Aespa. I hope they show this side of themselves more often in the future.
-They're doing well enough... Seems like so many people want to see them fail.
-People complain if they sing live and complain if they don't~
-The lyrics are so embarrassingㅠㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Director Park Chanwook's 'No Other Choice' Rotten Tomatoes score
It's getting mixed reactions in South Korea, but receiving a lot of praise overseas. It recently won the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.
-Oh... Now I'm even more curious.
-It seems like Koreans really care whether the story makes sense or not... But in movies, that's not important at al. I personally really enjoyed watching this movie, that's why I was so confused seeing the reviews.
-Why are Korean and international reviews so different?
-I personally find this movie very good.
-It wasn't bad, but it got a little boring halfway.
-I liked all of Park Chanwook's movies, but this one wasn't for me.
-I didn't really like 'Decision to Leave,' but I find 'No Other Choice' was so good. I liked the shock the ending gave me.
-International audiences seem to love well-made black comedies. I guess I'll have to watch it myself to judge.
-Everyone around me says it's really good, so I'm looking forward to it.
-I got so sleepy watching this...
-I like this movie, but the ending was so old-fashioned.
-I enjoyed watching this movie!!!!! Everyone stop fighting!!!!
-The movie was really well-made, and the acting was good. I enjoyed watching it. But I feel like it didn't fit with Korean sentiment, and in the end I just found the story really unpleasant.
-Seems like Koreans just can't stand being bored.
-Does it not fit with our country's sentiment?
Fandom who caused major nuisance during the live recording of 'The Seasons'
Hul... DAY6's fans, MyDay, rushed out the studio even when the filming of 'The Seasons' wasn't over yet just because their artist's stage ended. The pre-MC told them it was disrespectful and asked them to sit down, but they all left anyway. That is unbelievable. It was so rude to the next guests who were about to perform... They've completely thrown their manners out the window.
Why do other guests and their fans have to feel like this when they came to 'The Seasons' to have a good time? Seriouslyㅜㅜㅜㅜ I'm so fed up. It's over now right? For real. I hope I never have to see them again.
During the photo time, a staff member had to repeatedly told a specific person 4-5 times not to tae pictures with their huge camera. But she ignored and kept taking pictures anyway. I don't know if this happened with other artists, but this disruption only happened during one specific artist's photo time.
If something like this happens, the show might not invite the artist again in the future... Why would someone choose to act that way?
The ridiculous part is, this wasn't even YoungK's comeback week. His appearance was announced suddenly today. That means those fans bought tickets at inflated prices from resellers. And after doing that, they left the venue half-empty. What does that make WOODZ, Lee Joonyoung, and Shin Seunghoon then?
That artist left around 10.40 PM. That's why his fans bolted as soon as his stage ended.
I went to 'The Seasons' yesterday and I kept sighing out of frustration
It might be just certain fans, but the person next to me was like that. She kept bumping into me with her arms, ignored staff telling her to put her camera away, fumbling around with her phone, and bumping into me again. I went with a family member and seriously thought, "How can someone be this rude?" Other people showed discomfort because of this one person. On a separate note, YoungK was amazing. I think I'm about to be a fan.
Since so many people are claiming that other fandoms left too, I'm writing this along with a picture of my admission ticket as a proof that I was there. The order was Shin Seunghoon - WOODZ - YoungK - Lee Joonyoung. Yes, some people did leave after WOODZ's turn. But for YoungK, it was so bad that everyone who applied for a ticket yesterday filled the venue all the way to the stairways. But once YoungK was done, so many people left that even those who were sitting on the stairs could move down and sit in actual chairs. That's how many left all at once. It was so embarrassing for the next guest. The pre-MC had to keep trying to control the crowd and asking people to fill the empty seats, even mentioning the fandom name and telling them not to leave.
-That fandom has no manners. No other idol fandoms have ever behaved like that on this show until now.
-Yeah, the show definitely won't invite him back again.
-I've never seen anyone leave during the filming of 'The Seasons' before... Oh my goodness...
-Ah... That is so annoying.
-They're basically ruining their artist's reputationㅋ
-That fandom wasn't like this before. They've gotten a bit weird after the group gained popularity.
-I think I've heard something about that fandom before the group got popular. Guess it's still happening.
-YoungK, WOODZ, Shin Seunghoon... All my favorite singers were in the lineup... I'm so jealous of the people who went...
-Whoa... That's something I could never have imaged ofㄷㄷ
-If the fandom keeps doing that, the show is less likely to invite him again in the future. I have never seen people leaving the venue even when the pre-MV asked them to stay.
-What kind of behavior is this?;;;;;
-Usually, fans behave better out of consideration for their artists. Why are they acting like this?
-As a fellow MyDay, I'm truly ashamed... Do they think they're the only one who gets to use the fandom name?
-I think as the fandom grew, weird people joined in... This reminds me of Kang Daniel's fandom back in the day. However, I see some people using this as an excuse to bash the fandom and the artist.
-Whoa... What an inconsiderate fandom. If I were the artist, I'd be so embarrassed.
'No Other Choice' Egg Index 84%
NB: Egg index is a rating service operated by CGV.
-It dropped a lot...
-What on earth is the reason for that?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ I’m curious so I need to watch it soon.
-This just makes me even more curious.
-The No. 1 movie you should NOT watch with your family during Chuseok... (Nominated by me)
-It should drop even more. Those who've watched the movie will know why.
-It's boring.
-I thought it was fun, though...
-I'm not going to watch it. It's not worth the timeㅋㅋㅋ
-It's not for the general public at all.
-What did I just watch...? I'm confused af.
-I understand why it gets mixed opinions. I personally think it was just okay, but there's someone I know who said it was more fun than F1.
-It's way too long. Boring.
-Already...?
-Seems like it’ll drop into the 70s.
-? Whoa, canceled my ticket reservation...
