(Min Hee-jin’s official statement and ADOR’s statement can be read in full below.)
Updated: 09/25/24 11:26pm
In an interview with Yoo Seong-un in The JoongAng, Min Hee-jin said that after her successful injunction, Hybe offered her a financial incentive to resign as CEO. However, Min says she declined the offer, emphasizing that her motivations were never about money. She further disclosed that production on NewJeans’ next album has been halted as a result of the ongoing situation.
Earlier Pyo Kyung-min of The Korea Times reported that, ADOR, the agency managing NewJeans, responded to the group’s plea to reinstate their former CEO, Min Hee-jin. The agency declined to reappoint Min as CEO but instead offered her a position on the Board of Directors, allowing her to work with NewJeans through the remainder of their contract. ADOR announced they would hold a shareholders’ meeting on October 17th to discuss the reappointment.
Min Hee-jin, former CEO of ADOR
According to ADOR, Min Hee-jin, former CEO of ADOR, was offered this role on September 11th, the same day NewJeans members released a live video requesting her reinstatement. (It is unclear from the reporting which event occurred first.) On September 13th, Min filed an injunction seeking her reappointment as a board director, as her three-year term would end on November 2nd.
Members of NewJeans captured from live video
According to The Korea Times reporting, ADOR was emphatic that Min’s return as CEO was not plausible at this time. The article continues to state that this news was e-mailed to the members of NewJeans.
Min responded shortly after with a statement, expressing doubt that the proposal would materialize, stating that HYBE Labels, ADOR’s parent company, had the final say. She also rejected the offer to return as a producer for NewJeans, citing “poisonous clauses” in the contract, similar to those in the offer following the August 27th board meeting where she was replaced.
Yonhap News quotes Min as saying in her statement, “I am concerned that if my term is extended under an incorrect contract, New Jeans’ normal activities as an artist cannot be guaranteed. That is why I have made my intention to return as CEO clear and have requested that HYBE sincerely present me with specific contract terms that correspond to that.”
HYBE Labels Logo
Internal conflicts surrounding Min’s leadership surfaced in April. ADOR attempted to remove her following a series of open disputes, including press conferences by Min Hee-jin and purported leaking of internal messages by Hybe, but ADOR lost in court when Min filed an injunction preventing her dismissal. Despite this legal victory, the board was restructured, and on August 27th, Min was replaced by Kim Ju-young, HYBE’s HR chief, as CEO. ADOR previously stated that Min would continue overseeing NewJeans’ development; however, Min asserted this decision was made unilaterally by the board and questioned the security of the agreement.
On September 25th, KST a Seoul based reporter told the hosts of CBS’ Kim Hyun Jung’s News Show that Hybe asked for them to “downplay the artists’ achivements”, referring to NewJeans. Hybe responded by disputing the substance of the conversation, suggesting there was no motivation for them to speak negatively about NewJeans and they questioned the journalist’s ethics by leaking these internal discussions.
Update: 9/25/24 9:25AM
Newsen’s released the full statements from Min Hee-jin and ADOR.
Min-Hee Jin’s Response
Hello.
This is the Maikol Consulting Group, responsible for media communication on behalf of the law firm Sejong, which is representing former ADOR CEO Min-Hee Jin.
This morning, the ADOR board resolved to convene a temporary shareholders’ meeting to discuss the reappointment of former CEO Min-Hee Jin as an inside director. However, since the appointment of inside directors is determined by the major shareholder, HYBE, it is currently unclear whether Min-Hee Jin will be reappointed.
Meanwhile, the ADOR board has stated that they proposed to Min-Hee Jin on the morning of September 11 to take on the producing role for NewJeans for the next five years. However, while they mentioned extending the contract, there have been no genuine proposals to eliminate the numerous harmful clauses present in the draft, such as unilateral termination rights. The term “compromise proposal” is nothing more than a play on words.
Min-Hee Jin is wary that extending her term under a faulty contract will not guarantee the normal artist activities for NewJeans. Therefore, she has clearly expressed her intention to return as CEO and requested a specific contract that reflects HYBE’s sincerity. She feels great anger at the behavior of engaging in media play before any negotiations, especially given that there have been no discussions regarding the parties involved, their positions, terms, or authority.
It has been revealed that HYBE engaged in media activities this morning to undermine the achievements of their artists. One wonders what they are trying to hide by suddenly making a statement today and whether they are attempting to sow discord between Min-Hee Jin and NewJeans. As you know, HYBE has a history of starting media plays that are illogical, followed by statements to cover up the truth once it comes to light.
The authority of the CEO is not only about the information revealed today; it also encompasses the rights to defend against various injustices at HYBE and demands that arise from having no reason to be dismissed from the CEO position.
Min-Hee Jin is deeply outraged by ADOR’s repeated attempts to incite public opinion through obvious lies and feels sympathy for the damage caused to the artists. She urges the ADOR board to show sincerity and engage in genuine negotiations before resorting to media plays. Additionally, she strongly demands the reinstatement of her position as CEO for the benefit of the artists.
ADOR’s Statement
ADOR resolved today in the board meeting to convene a temporary shareholders’ meeting to reappoint Director Min-Hee Jin as an inside director.
Previously, on the morning of September 11, ADOR had already proposed to Min-Hee Jin to take on the producing role for NewJeans for the next five years. This five-year period aligns with the remaining duration of the contract with NewJeans.
However, the ADOR board discussed that they currently cannot accept the demand for her return as CEO.
Since basic guarantees regarding her position, duration, and authority as the PD responsible for producing NewJeans have been established, we expect that specific conditions will be negotiated moving forward.
We have provided detailed responses via email to the NewJeans members regarding the matters discussed and various inquiries made in today’s board meeting.
