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)