Amidst a heated battle between HYBE and its subsidiary ADOR, the mother of a member of NewJeans spoke with Ilgan Sports in a phone interview. Ms. A, a concerned mother, expressed her worries on the 12th, stating, “I was troubled and worried that our emails may have caused harm to the kids.”
“On the day of Min Hee-jin’s (ADOR) press conference (April 25), Ms. A and a few other NewJeans moms went to HYBE. Ms. A expressed that they were concerned about the possibility of major issues arising and believed that they could help bridge the gap between HYBE and ADOR.”
During the discussion, Ms. A provided an explanation of the situation, stating that Mr. Park Ji-won, the CEO of HYBE, had arrived approximately 20 minutes behind schedule. She also mentioned that the other executives had arrived earlier and there was limited time to discuss their mediation efforts. Ms. A further noted that the executives had brought laptops and pointed out mistakes allegedly made by Min Hee-jin.
On March 31st, Ms. A and other parents of NewJeans members addressed their concerns to ADOR through emails. They highlighted problems such as plagiarism by a new girl group X, which belongs to HYBE’s subsidiary label Belift Lab, and requested appropriate measures to be taken.
On April 3, Min Hee-jin sent an email to HYBE and Belief containing her opinions. On April 16, ADOR also sent an email regarding the issue and HYBE responded to the first email on the same day. The following morning of April 22, HYBE replied to ADOR’s second email and began an audit in the afternoon.
Upon being accused, Ms. A denied that NewJeans’ parents were influenced by Min Hee-jin to send the emails. She clarified, “We sought permission from Ms. Min Hee-jin to use those words and, not being well-informed about the matter, we asked her to review and decide if she wanted to send the email.”
During the meeting with HYBE, she stressed, “We made it clear that we (the parents of NewJeans) initiated this.”
When my friends first sent me the concept photos of girl group X, they asked if it was a new photo of NewJeans. I was confused because it looked too similar. We discussed it with our mothers and then decided to ask Ms. Min Hee-jin for her opinion. It was evident that we were the ones who initiated the conversation, Ms. A further explained.
Ms. A expressed her disappointment that Bang Si-hyuk not only ignored greetings from NewJeans, but also from other artists.
After their debut, a few other kids also shared similar experiences. One of them happened to be in the same elevator, but they were not acknowledged. When we brought this up to HYBE, they dismissed it as a misunderstanding and suggested that Chairman Bang Si-hyuk may have a facial recognition disorder. Although we couldn’t say much at the time, I couldn’t help but wonder if a facial recognition disorder also meant the inability to greet someone. After all, even if you don’t recognize someone, it is usually common courtesy to greet them.
Ms. A recounted, “During the meeting, HYBE officials discussed Ms. Min Hee-jin’s allegations against girl group X. I found myself thinking, ‘What is their reasoning behind this?’”
“Following that, Mr. Park Ji-won arrived and informed us, ‘Ms. Min Hee-jin did not disclose any information about NewJeans Tokyo Dome in June, but we have a team of experts and will handle it well,”Ms. A further disclosed. She also shared that he mentioned NewJeans would have a lengthy break after the Tokyo Dome event.
Ms. A clarified that she did not inquire about the length of the vacation, but Mr. Park mentioned that it typically takes a year and a half to secure a Grammy-winning producer. However, he assured her that they will make every effort to expedite the process.
She elaborated, “Therefore, upon leaving, we made a pact that if they promised to assign a Grammy producer in a timely manner, then the duration of our vacation must revolve around that. We agreed to inquire about it during our next encounter.”
Ms. A reiterated, “Our stance with HYBE is clear – we want Ms. Min Hee-jin to continue managing NewJeans alongside us.”She further explained, “This decision is supported by all five members’ parents.”Expressing their concerns, she added, “We worry about leaving our children unattended at HYBE for an extended period of time if Ms. Min Hee-jin is not present.”Prior to this situation, Ms. Min Hee-jin had shared plans for a NewJeans world tour next year. However, with the possibility of a lengthy hiatus…”
Additionally, in response to Ms. A’s statement, a senior HYBE representative stated, “Providing a lengthy vacation does not equate to giving them a break.”They further explained, “It is common for idols to have a busy schedule after a comeback and then have a period of rest. This allows them to recharge and prepare for their upcoming activities.”
He clarified, “Our intention is not to put an end to NewJeans’ activities. In fact, HYBE will provide dedicated attention and assistance to NewJeans in order to help them achieve their full potential as artists.”
The high-ranking official further asserted that there is substantial evidence concerning Ms. Min Hee-jin’s embezzlement accusations. They also mentioned that once this evidence is presented in court, HYBE’s genuineness will become apparent to a wider audience.
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