#merries

After debut, she and the members received their first statement of accounts with debts close to 70 million won each (approximately $60,000). Daisy shared that the label told her it is to pay off the production costs for “FINDING MOMOLAND”, the survival program which chose the members of MOMOLAND. At the time, Daisy thought that it was normal for members to pay for such costs and paid the debt out of her own pocket.

According to KBS, upon checking with the agency, all of the other members who participated in the show chosen as members of MOMOLAND had paid tens of millions of won (tens of thousands of dollars) as production costs. A source from MLD Entertainment tried to defend themselves by explaining, “We had already explained to the members that they would have to pay for the production costs, and it is not problematic because they all signed contracts about it.”

A source from CJ ENM, the parent company of M-net, denied their involvement, stating, “CJ ENM did not directly produce ‘FINDING MOMOLAND’, and we only programmed it for broadcasting because the agency subcontracted us. When a certain agency produces an audition program, we do not know anything about the members that are chosen, the production costs, or the promotion.”

However, contrary to the claims, M-net’s main producing director (PD) had taken part in the press conference for the show. KBS reports that the PD had also been directly involved in decorating the stage for the show’s final performances. When MOMOLAND’s popularity soared in Feburary 2018 after “BBOOM BBOOM”, M-net aired reruns of “FINDING MOMOLAND” and continued to profit through the show funded by the members.

While there are also rumours that the members of MOMOLAND are rigged/pre-determined, it is unlikely to be the case since the PD of the show had 60% control over the decision-making process - this was the reason why the show was not popular when it was on originally because the audience felt like their vote did not matter. Hence the major issue at hand is definitely MLD Entertainment (Duble Kick Entertainment at the time) making members of MOMOLAND, many underaged at the time, pay off the money the label owed M-net for the show instead of paying it themselves.