Concerns Over Newjeans’s Comeback Amid HYBE & Min Hee-jin Conflict

Despite official statements from HYBE and ADOR on April 26th and May 2nd, respectively, there remains a divergence of opinions surrounding several issues. These include Min Hee-jin’s claim of taking control of management rights, events during the audit, her yearly salary, the presence of “slave contracts,”and the use of shamanic management techniques.

Why are they fighting each other right before NewJeans comeback?

In 2024, NewJeans will begin their activities with the release of a double single on May 24th. The girl group will unveil two singles, namely “How Sweet”and “Bubble Gum”in Korea, followed by “Supernatural”and “Right Now”in Japan on June 21st. One exciting aspect of their comeback is their collaboration with renowned Japanese contemporary and pop artist, Takashi Murakami. Despite the ongoing internal conflict at HYBE, fans of K-pop are eagerly anticipating how it will impact NewJeans’s comeback promotion, as both sides continue to point fingers at each other.

ADORE expressed their dissatisfaction with HYBE for conducting an unexpected audit without considering their perspective and causing a commotion just before NewJeans’s comeback. They further stated that, although HYBE claimed to have proposed not involving the artist in the disagreement, their choice to attack CEO Min Hee-jin and ADORE instead of resolving the issue quietly, potentially damaging NewJeans’s brand, showcases their lack of understanding in label management.

HYBE responded by stating that it was CEO Min Hee-jin who initiated the conflict by sending an email just before NewJeans’s comeback, in which she accused the company of using the artist as a shield and threatened to take over management rights. Despite previously accommodating her repeated demands, HYBE became aware that these demands were a means for her to gain control. As a result, an audit was necessary. The company had repeatedly requested that she refrain from mentioning the artists during press conferences and interviews, as they highly value the artists.

What was the reason for NewJeans not debuting as HYBE’s first girl group?

It was revealed by ADOR that HYBE had promised to debut Min Hee-jin’s group as their first girl group, ever since her audition. This was witnessed by NewJeans’s parents and ADOR executives. However, HYBE did not fulfill their promise and instead recruited Sakura and Kim Chae-won, making LE SSERAFIM their first girl group. In response, CEO Min Hee-jin gave up her stake and requested the establishment of ADOR to debut NewJeans there. Despite this, HYBE continued to deceive by falsely claiming that NewJeans’s debut was delayed due to company division and contract transfer, when in fact it was not their intention.

HYBE responded by stating that NewJeans did not become their first girl group due to HYBE breaking a promise. CEO Min Hee-jin had strongly expressed her desire to debut the group under her own label, with full responsibility and creative control. HYBE respected her decision and transferred the members to ADOR, despite opposition from Source Music. CEO Min Hee-jin had even personally planned the debut process and announced in a March 2020 interview that the girl group would launch in the third quarter of 2022.

Was HYBE’s recruitment of Sakura an obstacle to NewJeans’s debut?

ADOR responded to the allegation that HYBE did not promote NewJeans during their debut by bringing up Sakura’s move to Source Music and the creation of LE SSERAFIM. They claimed that HYBE used the excuse of conflicting promotions to request that CEO Min Hee-jin refrain from promoting NewJeans before LE SSERAFIM’s debut, while simultaneously giving the impression that LE SSERAFIM was Min Hee-jin’s girl group.

HYBE stated that the delay in NewJeans’s debut was caused by discussions between Source Music and Min Hee-jin. As a result, the girl group LE SSERAFIM, also under Source Music, debuted first. This decision was made to ensure sufficient time for promotion and to avoid any potential exposure of NewJeans’s members if Sakura were to join Source Music, as was rumored at the time. To protect the value of both teams, HYBE requested a shortened gap between the debuts, allowing for NewJeans to begin promotions as soon as possible.

Min Hee-jin and HYBE: A Controversial Contract and Ban

ADOR emphasized that CEO Min Hee-jin did not reject the importance of the competition, stating that “However, the existing shareholder agreement is not fair.”

HYBE responded, stating that the confidentiality of the competition ban outlined in the shareholder contract must be maintained. However, CEO Min Hee-jin disclosed this information during her press conference. It is important to clarify that the company does not force her to remain tied to the company indefinitely. If she chooses to sell her stake, she will no longer be bound by the competition ban which will expire in November 2026, coinciding with the end of her contract with the company. While CEO Min Hee-jin has stated that money is not her motivation, the main point of contention in this debate is the amount of compensation.