Retail Company Employee Allegedly Steals Gifts Meant for NCT Fans
NCT’s Jaemin is facing backlash after a controversy involving Shinsegae Group gift certificates he gave to fans.
The controversy began when Jaemin sent out 30 Shinsegae Group gift certificates to fans via the fan messaging app, Bubble, to celebrate White Day. Fans rushed to E-Mart stores to exchange the certificates for physical vouchers on March 14. However, all the certificates had already been exchanged at the E-Mart Gumi branch before the store even opened.
Fans quickly suspected that an employee at the Gumi branch had taken and stolen the certificates early.
Soon after, an X user posted about exchanging nine of the vouchers online, which gained massive backlash.
E-Mart Gumi Branch. I only printed 9 vouchers. Stop the complaints… I beg you. I’ll post them with the barcodes, so please stop complaining. Please.
— X user
The same user later posted an apology claiming the employee had been fired and promised to return the vouchers.
The E-Mart employee has just been fired. I apologize. An acquaintance and I only printed out nine of them. I am so sorry. Jaemin gave them out to everyone, and this was short thinking on my part. I will return them, so please stop complaining. I am so sorry to the employee, and I will reflect on my actions. I am sorry.
— X user
Shinsegae Group has apologized and is currently conducting an internal investigation into the E-Mart Gumi branch.
A netizen pointed out:
“If an employee exchanged and kept the gift certificates before business hours, isn’t that clearly theft?”
There were claims the employee who took the certificates was fired, but these have been confirmed as untrue. The investigation is ongoing.