SEOUL, September 12 (AJP) - K-pop girl group NewJeans held a live YouTube broadcast on Wednesday, urging HYBE, the parent company of their label ADOR, to reverse its decision to dismiss Min Hee-jin, the label's former CEO. The abrupt broadcast came just a day before HYBE shareholders' meeting.
Min, the woman behind the stellar success of the quintet, established her reputation at SM Entertainment, where she orchestrated the launch of popular groups like Girls' Generation, SHINee, EXO, and NCT.
After leaving SM Entertainment in 2018, she joined HYBE and founded ADOR, where she played a pivotal role in shaping NewJeans into one of K-pop's leading girl groups. However, despite her success, Min was dismissed from her CEO position in August, following a legal dispute with HYBE.
While Min has publicly expressed her feelings of betrayal and confusion in a couple of recent press conferences, the members of NewJeans had remained silent until recently. During the broadcast, the girls made it clear they do not want to work with HYBE unless their mastermind's position as CEO is reinstated.
"I strongly doubt if HYBE truly cares about us," said Minji, the group's leader. "What we want is ADOR with Min. We ask the agency to let her come back to us by Sept. 25." They stressed that Min is the only person they fully trust.
Min "is not only the person that produces our music but someone who make NewJeans, who we are," Daniel explained.
The other members also expressed complaints about HYBE's handling of Min's dismissal, calling the decision "disregardful" and accusing the company of a lack of transparency. Hyein revealed that they only learned of Min's firing through media reports.
Many manufactured K-pop groups are bound by lengthy contracts with their agencies, often spanning several years. It is not unusual for agencies to sideline groups or members they deem "inappropriate" by offering minimal support. Those seeking to leave their contracts early often face substantial penalties, which puts pressure on them to comply with their agency's decisions.
NewJeans spoke out for the first time since the disputes between Min and HYBE emerged earlier this year. But the YouTube channel called "nwjns," used for their broadcast, disappeared shortly after.
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