The ongoing dispute between HYBE and ADOR is currently the center of attention.

On April 23, the media outlet Issue Check reported that CEO Min Hee Jin had sent an official complaint email to HYBE the previous week.

According to Issue Check’s investigations, the email contained statements that “NewJeans is experiencing harm due to the concept plagiarism of ILLIT,” and “HYBE is treating NewJeans unfairly.”

What’s striking is that the email was shared not only with NewJeans but also with the parents of the NewJeans members.

However, HYBE suspects that CEO Min Hee Jin had already been planning to take over management independently of the ILLIT plagiarism issue, with plans dating from late 2023 to early 2024.

HYBE believes that the official complaint email Min sent prior to the audit was a strategic move to prepare for this independence.

The involvement of both NewJeans and their parents further supports this pretext.

Following the report, Korean netizens are questioning Min Hee Jin’s claims that NewJeans was mistreated by HYBE.

They argue that the group has received better treatment than most other idols in the industry.

Korean netizens commented:

“When did HYBE treat NewJeans unfairly?”

“I guess securing a luxury apartment in Gangnam is considered unfair treatment.”

“This sounds like the NewJeans members and their parents are being heavily manipulated by Min Hee Jin.”

“I don’t think the girls were treated unfairly at all. They were paid two months after making their debut. They don’t have crazy schedules. As soon as they debuted, they became ambassadors of luxury brands. And they get a long vacation after each promotion. They are the only HYBE girl group that appeared in BTS’s music video.”

“NewJeans is a girl group that was never treated unfairly even before their debut but now that she’s having issues with HYBE, she’s claiming they were treated unfairly. She’s also saying ILLIT is a copy of NewJeans.”

“Treated unfairly? Lol. It’s so baffling that I can’t even say anything.”

“NewJeans? Treated unfairly?”

“Were NewJeans treated unfairly recently without my knowledge?”

“If NewJeans were treated unfairly, then there are a truckload of groups who would sign up to be treated very unfairly.”

“But the members each have their own room in an expensive luxury apartment. I guess that’s being treated unfairly.”

“I want to know Min Hee Jin’s definition of being treated unfairly.”

Source(1)

A recent KBS drama shoot starring Girls' Generation's Seohyun and 2PM's Taecyeon has sparked controversy after accusations of damaging a UNESCO World Heritage site.

On January 2, architect Min Seo Hong took to Facebook to criticize the production of the upcoming drama I Took the Male Lead's First Night, which used Byeongsan Seowon, a historic Korean Confucian academy, as a filming location.

His post, titled "An Account of What I Witnessed at Byeongsan Seowon," detailed shocking allegations about the crew's actions.

Min shared that he visited Byeongsan Seowon on December 30, only to find the site bustling with drama staff.

"As I approached, I saw crew members moving around. At first, I didn’t realize it was a filming set, but when I entered the seowon, I felt uneasy knowing this historic site was being used this way," he wrote.

What he saw inside was alarming. According to Min, props were scattered throughout the seowon, and staff were hammering nails into wooden pillars to hang lights.

When he confronted them, they reportedly dismissed his concerns, saying, "We already have permission from Andong City. If you’re curious, contact them."

Determined to take action, Min contacted Andong City’s Cultural Heritage Department. A city official admitted they had approved the filming but appeared unaware of the damage being done.

"When I asked if they knew about the nails in the wooden pillars, they seemed flustered and promised to order their removal immediately," Min shared.

Experts later informed Min that incidents like this aren’t uncommon, with some modern heritage sites even being dismantled for filming. "People might think hammering nails is minor, but in traditional Korean houses, it’s a big deal to even drive in one nail. For cultural heritage, this should never happen," he said.

Min’s biggest concern is the decision to allow such a valuable site, designated as Historic Site No. 260 and a UNESCO World Heritage site, to be used for filming at all. "This was a KBS drama production, and it’s deplorable that they showed such little care for cultural heritage," he added.

The drama, I Took the Male Lead's First Night, is already drawing backlash before its release, with many netizens expressing anger over the alleged damage to the historic site. Comments online include:

"Why are cultural heritage sites being used as filming locations in the first place?"

"If this is true, KBS owes an apology not just to viewers but to the nation."

"Respect for cultural heritage should come before making a drama."

Neither KBS nor the drama's production team has released an official statement regarding the allegations.

However, the issue has sparked heated debate, with many calling for stricter regulations on the use of heritage sites for filming.

Source: [1]