NCT's Jaemin's gift cards were misused by emart staff. An internal investigation is ongoing, and measures will be taken to prevent recurrence.
March/17/2026 14:16
It has been confirmed that some of the gift certificates NCT's Jaemin gave to fans were used by employees of the major Korean supermarket emart. The Shinsegae Group, which operates emart, stated today (17th), 'We have confirmed that employees at the emart Gumi store used nine 100,000 won (about 1,000 USD) vouchers in advance,' and added, 'We are currently conducting an internal investigation into the details.' They continued, 'We apologize for the inconvenience caused to customers using emart,' and stated, 'We will proceed with measures based on the company's standards and principles according to the investigation results, and strengthen management standards related to the issuance and exchange of gift certificates to prevent recurrence.' On the 14th, Jaemin celebrated White Day by publicly offering 30 Shinsegae mobile gift certificates (100,000 won each) through a communication platform with fans. He gifted a total of 3 million won (about 30,000 USD) worth of gift certificates, which were in a format displaying barcodes and could be used on a first-come, first-served basis. However, when some fans visited exchange locations like emart the next day to exchange their gift certificates for paper ones, the problem was discovered. It was revealed that some gift certificates had already been exchanged at the emart Gumi store in Gyeongsangbuk-do before the store's opening time of 10 AM. Following this, suspicions spread online and on social media that employees at the store had used their authority to use the gift certificates in advance. On the 15th, as the controversy grew, Jaemin reportedly informed fans that 'there were still some left' and delivered an additional 10 of the same gift certificates.
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NCT's Jaemin gifted 30 SHINSEGAE mobile gift cards, but many were misused at emart before opening hours, leading to fan suspicions and an investigation. Some fans claimed employees exchanged cards early, while others defended their use. Emart is now reviewing the situation and plans to strengthen management of gift card issuance and exchange.
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