A manager at K-pop agency Big Planet Made, home to singer Taemin of SHINee and girl group Viviz, was fired after borrowing money from 40 illegal lenders using the company staff's contacts as collateral, the agency said Wednesday.

According to Big Planet Made, an unidentified manager was caught borrowing "small amounts of money" from illegal lenders after failing to pay back their debts. In response, the illegal lenders started calling the numbers the manager gave them as collateral.


The manager handed over some 1,200 phone numbers to the lenders, including those of Big Planet Made's staff and artists, staff at their former company and even celebrities that the manager was acquainted with in the past.

The first phone call was made on Sept. 30, and the manager was immediately fired.

The company resorted to making the matter public after receiving another phone call on Wednesday demanding money that the former manager failed to reimburse.

"The illegal lenders are leaving threatening messages to Big Planet Made employees, but it is possible that they will contact others in the former manager's log," Big Planet Made said Wednesday.

"We are seeking to take firm measures against such as police reports. We sincerely apologize for the damage that our former employee has caused anyone. We ask that should anyone be contacted related to the former manager's actions they immediately report it to the police."

Big Planet Made was founded in 2021 by Cha Ga-won and M.C. Mong. It is owned by One Hundred Label, which also owns EXO member Baekhyun's agency, INB100.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]