“Are You Looking for Slaves?” Cube Entertainment Faces Backlash Over (G)I-DLE Supporters Recruitment Notice

On June 17th, Cube announced the recruitment of (G)I-DLE fan supporters on Weverse. According to the notice, the recruitment period for offline fan supporters starts on June 17th and continues until the positions are filled, but the exact number of positions was not disclosed.

The activities of (G)I-DLE fan supporters include managing public broadcast sites and fan club activities. The qualifications required are: Official (G)I-DLE fan club membership, must be over 20 years old and able to participate in offline activities without time constraints, must not disclose fan club operations to outsiders, must not be a supporter or executive of another artist’s fan club.

Essentially, the notice is recruiting fan club members to volunteer in managing public broadcast events where the group participates.

The notice immediately sparked backlash from fans. They criticized the idea of mobilizing fans for free to manage event sites, arguing it is outdated and inappropriate for the current era.

Comments on entertainment-related communities included: “Do they not have site managers?“, “They are exploiting fans for free labor“, “This seems like an announcement from 20 years ago“, “If they want people who can participate offline without time constraints, they should pay them“, “Are they crazy? Are they recruiting slaves who will come whenever called, keep secrets, do whatever they are told and not get paid?“

Some fans also expressed concerns that the agency’s poor handling might negatively impact (G)I-DLE’s image.