The interrogation for the injunction lawsuit filed by CEO Min Hee-jin against ADOR’s parent company HYBE to ban their exercise of voting rights was held at the Seoul Central District Court on the morning of May 17th. Min Hee-jin’s legal representative from the law firm Sejong attended the court on her behalf.
The lawyer representing Min Hee-jin and ADOR has accused HYBE of discrimination against NewJeans. According to the lawyer, HYBE convinced CEO Min to create their first girl group, but then went back on their word by debuting LE SSERAFIM first. To expedite the debut of NewJeans, Min Hee-jin established ADOR and brought the members there. However, even during NewJeans’ pre-debut promotions, ADOR was not allowed to use terms like “all teenage members”due to fears that it would reveal LE SSERAFIM as the true girl group created by Min Hee-jin.
According to ADOR’s lawyer, the messages from NewJeans members reveal that “Bang Si-hyuk did not respond to their greetings.”The lawyer further confirmed that this information was true and could be verified through the members’ Kakaotalk messages.
Min Hee-jin’s team emphasized that the CEO has a responsibility to protect NewJeans from any infringement or interference outlined in the group’s exclusive contract with ADOR. They also stated that it is important to inform HYBE of this, even if there is a shareholder agreement. They further clarified that CEO Min’s actions have always been in compliance with the relevant laws. The group is planning to release an album in 2024 and embark on a world tour, and the members have expressed their desire to continue working with Min Hee-jin. This sentiment is also shared by NewJeans’ loyal fans.
They expressed concern over HYBE mentioning NewJeans’s extended hiatus since April 16th. The members and their legal team are deeply worried about the consequences of Min Hee-jin’s dismissal, as it could result in irreparable harm to both the company and its artists, including NewJeans, ADOR, and Min Hee-jin.
On April 22nd, HYBE initiated an investigation into ADOR and uncovered proof of Min Hee-jin’s violation of trust. HYBE then made multiple accusations against Min Hee-jin, including attempting to take over ADOR’s management rights, demanding control over NewJeans’s exclusive contracts, and embezzlement. On May 15th, HYBE further revealed that the ADOR CEO had met with an analyst.
Previously, HYBE had demanded that Min Hee-jin resign from her CEO position. With HYBE holding 80% of ADOR’s shares, it is probable that Min Hee-jin will be removed during the upcoming shareholder meeting. However, the female CEO has taken legal action to prevent HYBE from exercising their voting rights. The court’s ruling will ultimately determine the outcome of Min Hee-jin’s dismissal.
Leave a Reply