Sakura of girl group Le Sserafim did not participate in a fan sign event that took place on Saturday in Japan amid ongoing tensions between HYBE and its label ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin.

A fan sign event is an autograph signing session where fans take the CDs they have bought to get them signed by the artist.

"Sakura will not take part in the event because she is feeling unwell," Source Music said in a notice to fans on Le Sserafim's official Japanese website, prior to the event. Further details were not shared.

Sakura's absence came amid ongoing tensions between HYBE, which owns Source Music, NewJeans' agency ADOR and ADOR's CEO Min, as well as criticism regarding Le Sserafim's vocal skills during its Coachella performances that took place earlier this month.

Min has been claiming that HYBE postponed the debut of NewJeans because of HYBE. HYBE argues it was due to Min's ambitions, because she asked HYBE to establish a separate label for her.

Min specifically mentioned Le Sserafim members Sakura and Kim Chae-won during a press conference that took place on Thursday.

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