“I wish you would stop harassing our CEO Min Hee-jin”— NewJeans appeals to HYBE and Bang Si-hyuk to reinstate ADOR’s CEO by September

NewJeans and Min Hee-jin have been trending online after the group voiced their appeal to reinstate her as the CEO of ADOR. On August 27, a new CEO was appointed, and Min Hee-jin was asked to step down from her position, a decision that didn’t sit well with the young K-pop girl group, who were closely guided by her.

On September 2, members Minji and Danielle publicly shared their disappointment for the first time. They expressed that the decision not only affected them and Min Hee-jin but also their fandom, causing unnecessary hardship.

To officially address the situation, on September 11, 2024, NewJeans launched their own YouTube account as a group. In a video that has since been deleted, they shared their thoughts on Min Hee-jin being removed from her CEO role and demanded her reappointment by HYBE and CEO Bang Si-hyuk. They said,

“I wish you would stop harassing our CEO Min Hee-jin.”

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NewJeans demand for Min Hee-jin to be reappointed as ADOR CEO

On August 27, Kim Joo-young was appointed as the new CEO of ADOR, following a months-long legal dispute between Min Hee-jin and HYBE. The decision to replace Min Hee-jin was allegedly made without her consent, and she raised concerns, claiming she was only informed after the fact.

Min Hee-jin had been a key figure for NewJeans, whom she closely mentored. The group had made previous attempts to address her removal, but on September 11, they took things further by releasing a YouTube video, openly sharing their thoughts on the situation.

Member Danielle even called HYBE "a pitiful and inhumane company" due to their decision to remove Hee-jin from her position. Fans were shocked to see her directly addressing their parent entertainment company.

The video, which took fans by surprise and was reportedly unknown to many ADOR staff, showed the group candidly expressing their disappointment.

"None of the ADOR workers know about this, and many of you watching might be surprised. We’ve thought a lot about how to start, but we just want to share our point of view so you can understand us better."

In the video, NewJeans made a direct appeal to HYBE and Bang Si-hyuk, asking for Min Hee-jin to be reappointed as ADOR’s CEO by September 25. However, the reason behind this specific number of days remains unknown.

They spoke in the former CEO's favor, saying,

"The ADOR we envision is one where Min Hee-jin leads both music production and company management as the CEO. This is our way of coexisting peacefully with HYBE. If our message has been understood, we hope Bang PD and HYBE will return ADOR to its original state by the 25th. Thank you for listening."

This message was seen as an earnest effort by the group to support Min Hee-jin. Although the video was soon taken down, it made waves across the K-pop community. Many observers suggested that the group’s bold move could be risky, especially given their expressed dissatisfaction with the new CEO and their clear preference for Hee-jin’s leadership.